


Cloak + Dagger + Hollywood

by mangafoxy



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Black Character(s), Childhood Friends, Denial of Feelings, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Female Character of Color, Friends to Lovers, Romantic Friendship, sex trafficking mention
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-08
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:53:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27965609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mangafoxy/pseuds/mangafoxy
Summary: When Bozer's screenwriter cousin comes to visit her Hollywood connections provide a way to take down an industry wide sex trafficking ring.
Relationships: Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)/Original Female Character of Color, Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 35
Collections: Black Girl Magic in Fan Fiction!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Started this a long time ago so the characters are pretty far removed from what's currently going on. Hope y'all enjoy anyway.

“If it ain’t my sis from another miss. Pepperoni to my cheese,” shouted a voice as she hauled her heavy ass duffel off her plane. 

Following the sound she saw her cousin, looking exactly like she remembered. A grin across his face and his arms stretched out in welcome. It felt like coming home. 

“Ya cheesy ass better get over here and get this bag before I toss it at you,” She called back. “Acting like we’re not related,” She grumbled to herself. 

He trotted over to her simultaneously taking her bag and enveloping her in a hug when she was in arms reach.

“My favorite little cousin back in LA,” He said, rocking them side to side in a large motion.

“You are literally 3 months older than me. You need to let that shit go, immediately,” She said pulling herself out of his arms.

“Not my fault you’re a youngin El,” he replied, turning and walking toward the exit.

“Sure thing Grandpa Wilt,” She said back. Pushing him in the arm that wasn’t burdened by her duffel. 

“Young people don’t know how blessed they are, Elgin. Why in my day I had to travel 5 miles by foot just to get to school,” He said in a low warbled voice. 

By the time they made it to his car her sides hurt from laughter, but she wouldn’t have had it any other way.

It wasn’t until they pulled up to the house that the flurry of nerves she thought she’d wrangled cropped up again.

“You still living with Mac,” El asked, using judgment to cover up her nerves, which made her feel like an utter bitch.

It’s lucky that her cousin is so easy going because lord knew she could be a dick.

“Obviously. A house in the hills on an indie special effects artist’s budget? Girl, you are trippin,” He scoffed as he got out the car.

“How’s the little blonde know-it-all anyway,” She asked trailing after him into the house.

“Still blonde,” said a familiar voice.

Which when followed belonged to the know it all in question, who definitely wasn’t little anymore.

“Damn, Mac what _did_ they feed you in the army,” El said loudly. Striding over to him to pull him into a hug. “You swol as hell, boy. You sure you don’t have any interest in acting?”

He laughed but gave her a firm hug back.

“Nope, I’m perfectly happy with my job,” He said moving back to loosely grasp her forearms.

She sucked her teeth in response. “That jawline is wasted in a think tank,” She said disappointedly.

She might have gone too far with that one because he didn’t quite respond. Only gaped like a fish and blushed, she was happy she could still make him do that.

“If you’re done flirting with my best friend I’ll show you to your room so you can get ready,” Said Bozer. Effectively ruining her old favorite pastime of making Angus lose his words. 

“I suppose I am done, for now,” She sighed. “What am I getting ready for though?”

“Nothin, just dinner but I don’t need your plane leggings embarrassing me. So…,” He trailed off turning to walk down a hallway.

Teasing now forgotten she hurried to follow him, “That’s big talk from someone whose childhood hero was a 90s Chris Tucker. Had us callin you Smokey for a whole month.” 

~~~

Now left behind Mac watched them go as they bickered like siblings. When Bozer told him Elgin would be visiting he really thought his adolescent crush had run its course. 

He’d been in other relationships, to varying degrees of success, and even been in love.

One look at her in those knee ripped leggings, her hair braided up like he remembered, and he was right back to being a gangly 12 year old.

Blushing because her playful flirtation hit a little too close to home. 

It was a reaction he needed to get a hold of before tonight as all his friends had a talent for sussing out private information and using it to tease mercilessly.

An experience he liked to avoid whenever possible, plus El embarrassed easily around strangers. 

At least she used to, they haven’t really hung out since before he went into the army. Their friendship stretched taut in an onslaught of new college experiences.

Boze ended up being the heart of their trio, he literally would not let them grow apart.

“What? NO nononono,” Elgin yelled. Her voice only slightly muted by the distance and walls between them. Boze must have told her about the kickback and apparently her aversion to new people hasn’t changed.

It made no sense considering she worked in Hollywood, but it made him hopeful that maybe things hadn’t changed so much after all. 

~~~

“B, I wish you told me about this before I left home. All I brought to wear is grubby set clothes and not at all appropriate clubwear,” Elgin said loudly as she walked into the kitchen. 

Which was empty save for a man that was neither her cousin nor Mac. Instead a man she’d never seen sat at the counter nursing a beer and sporting a lascivious look. Fuck her life.

“Jack Dalton, ma’am. I work with Mac and Bozer over at the Phoenix Foundation,” The man said holding out his hand for a shake.

“Right, Wil did mention doing some work for you guys,” She said taking his hand and giving it a brief squeeze. “I’m Elgin, Boze’s cousin.”

“Ah, yes his pepperoni,” He said with a laugh.

“I knew he practiced that! He truly is the corniest person I know, and I work with a whole lot of cornballs,” She said covering her face as if to shield herself.

“And what is it you do Ms. Elgin?” Jack asked as she got herself a beer and leaned against the counter.

“I’m something of a script doctor,” She said tilting her head back and forth. “I take scripts and I improve them. Cut jokes that aren’t working, adjust the plot sequence so it hits necessary beats, basically I correct the straight white male of it all.”

Jack exhaled lightly and said, “That certainly is a tall order, especially in entertainment.” He took another swig of his beer. “I do not envy your job, too much thinking. I’ll stick to being a glorified bodyguard. Thank you very much.”

That made her laugh. “I know for a fact you’ve got a hell of a job on your hands. Gus has always needed someone to watch his back while he uses that big ol’ brain of his.” 

Jack shook his head in disbelief. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Also who the hell is Gus?”

“That I had to be the schoolyard muscle while Gus did his DIY pranks, I mean experiments, yes that is what I’m saying. And I gave us so many nicknames over the years I don’t even know where to start. My favorite though was probably our outlaw names: Willy, Ginny, and Gus.” 

“And the two of them were perfectly fine being called Willy and Gus?”

“They were after I made them watch Young Guns a few hundred times,” Elgin said pushing off the counter to flop down on the couch.

“Odd choice for a kid,” He said, turning to face her. 

“It was on tv. They censored the racism and violence to palatable levels,” She replied with a shrug.

“Now if you want a good western-” Jack started.

“Man, how many times I gotta tell you? No one is interested in your old man movies,” Boze said striding in from the backyard.

“Now now, Wil middle aged men with a love of action movies are the industry’s life blood,” Elgin teased, sending her cousin a sly look.

“I came here to drink and have a good time. Not to have my feelings hurt.” Jack hopped off the stool, beer in hand, and strode out the sliding glass door in a dramatic huff. 

Elgin shook her head and finished off her drink, “He seems nice.”

Boze plopped down next to her on the couch.

“When he’s not being a pain in the ass he’s alright,” He said, kicking his feet up on the coffee table.

“I feel like he says the same thing about you, and somehow you’re both right.”

“Fuck outta here, man. Ain’t visited in a year and now you wanna come in my house and insult me,” Boze said with a pout.

“You are such a baby,” She said crashing her shoulder into his. “How many people are going to be here again?”

“It’s just four people. I promise it’s not a house party, I wouldn’t do you like that.”

“Better not,” She said slowly. The beer was finally starting to hit her, a fact for which she was thankful, if she was lucky she’d come off like a normal person later.

They were silent for a moment.

“I really missed you, Boze. Without you Margarita Mondays just felt like sad drinking,” She said quietly.

“I know what you mean. Mac won’t stop pointing out scientific inaccuracies in the Superhero Saturday movies.”

“Remember how he threw a fit over the Edward Norton Hulk because ‘it’s science was more like alchemy’. Couldn’t get him to watch another Marvel movie til Winter Soldier,” She said with a snort.

“Movies were never quite his thing,” Boze said, shaking his head sadly.

“Well when you can just make a computer out of some glass and an old phone why bother?” Elgin laughed. 

They were quiet for a moment, the silence settling over them like a warm blanket. Elgin laid her head on her cousin’s shoulder and felt more at home than she had in ages. That is until the doorbell rang. 

“I really hate you for doing this while I’m here,” She said, rolling her head to rest on the sofa.

“We do this every couple of weeks, it’s super chill, plus you get to meet the gang,” Boze replied as he got up to answer the door. 

“Still hate you,” she called back seconds before the door opened to reveal three people.

One of which was absolutely gorgeous in a way that made the high school emo kid in her want to die from lust induced angst.

She must be Riley.

Boze certainly had good taste, she’d give him that much.

“You guys, this is my cousin, Elgin. El this is Matty and Riley.”

The course of hellos was cheery if not somewhat awkward.

“Hi, I’ve heard so much about you two, so it’s nice to put faces to the names,” Elgin said with a short wave. 

Their responses, though murmured and non-descript, were nice enough. As they made their way to the fridge like a well-oiled machine. Each grabbing a beer and heading toward the deck. Only Riley hung back when she turned and said, “Grab one and come out. We’re all dying to hear about Boz and Mac from someone normal.” 

With that she followed the others outside. Leaving Elgin with little else to do, except grab a beer and head out to the back herself. 

The sun was well on its way down so the already raging fire pit made up the difference for the diminishing sunlight.

Taking a seat near the fire Elgin tried to drink as casually as possible. The last thing she needed was to come off like some desperate to be liked sorority sister.

Nonetheless if a little social lubricant took the edge off of her nerves some she wouldn’t complain. 

“So Elgin, Boze tells us you’re some Hollywood up and comer,” said a brash voice.

Pulling her gaze away from the fire she turned toward the woman who spoke. She was pretty sure Boze called her Matty.

“I don’t know if I’d say up and coming, but I do work hard. I mostly punch up other people’s scripts. I’m hoping to get one of mine in front of the right people soon though,” Elgin said with a halfhearted shrug. 

The polite ‘ _Oh Wow’_ s were nice still being the center of attention didn’t sit well with her, so their decent manners did nothing to relax her. 

“Two questions,” said Riley over the din. “First, what is the highest profile movie you’ve ever worked on? And second, what was your favorite movie of this year?” 

“The best movie of the year was by far Black Panther,” Elgin said slowly. “And the biggest one I can talk about right now is Deadpool”

“What! You never told me you worked on that script. Did any of your edits make it in the movie?” Boze asked moving to sit on his foot as he turned toward her.

Elgin’s smile was slow as she remembered one of her jokes that made it in the final cut. 

“After a brief adjustment period and a bunch of drinks, it's a face... I'd be happy to sit on,” Elgin recited. Though her delivery might have been perfect if she made eye contact with Mac on the last half of the quote and promptly wanted to die.

The ladies of the group fell out from laughter. 

“Either way it’s Ryan Reynolds,” Riley called out.

The comment set them off again, honestly if she knew them better this would be pretty fun.

The laughter was cut short though when Matty’s cellphone chimed.

“Duty calls, everyone. Let’s go,” Matty said after glancing at her phone. “It was nice meeting you Elgin. Sorry we have to leave so soon.”

Elgin looked around and saw that everyone, including Boze, was migrating back to the house. 

“Wow, you really meant it when you said everyone,” Elgin said as she trailed behind them.

“Sorry to leave you here by yourself. You gonna be ok here alone?” Mac asked. 

Picking up his jacket and swinging it over his broad shoulders.

“Uh yeah, I’m feeling kind of jet lagged anyway. So, I’ll just head to bed,” she replied leaning uncomfortably against the sliding door.

One by one they left out the front door, until it was just Bozer and her.

“So that’s how it is with the Phoenix Foundation? You get a call and off you go,” Elgin asked her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Pretty much.”

“Ok, how long will you be gone?”

Boze winced. “It depends. You still have the spare key I made you, right?”

“Yes,” She said slowly. Drawing out the word while she tried to follow his thought process. “Wait, how long are you usually gone?”

“A couple of days…”

She nodded absently. “So that’s probably why you suddenly reply to old texts like a week hasn’t gone by.”

A car horn sounded from the front. The grating tune it let out reminding them both that he had to go. 

“I gotta go. We’ll talk more later, ok? I’ll explain,” he said.

His smile as charming and cajoling as ever, her cousin certainly had a knack for weaseling his way back into her good graces.

“Sure thing see you in a week,” she said sweetly. Turning to go toward the kitchen she heard the door open and called out, “I’m eating all of your ice cream fyi.” 

She heard Boze’s laughter a split second before the door closed.

True to her word she found herself at the kitchen table eating Boze’s B&J half baked. It was about half way gone so her threat to eat it all wasn’t hard to fulfill. 

Four days had passed and she hadn't heard from him or Mac once. Part of her felt silly for even being upset, it’s not like her work didn’t have her checking out sometimes, but at least she filled him in when she came back.

She also didn’t disappear when she had guests in her home. Like what did they do at the think tank that would keep them occupied that long? 

Especially Boze, don’t get her wrong, but what did he _do_? He was talented in so many ways but how did that translate to a government contracted think tank? 

With a sigh El put the lid on the pint and pulled her MacBook closer. At least she had a new script to work on in the meantime. It was a challenge because the writer tried to blend a political thriller with a Pretty Woman-esq romance, in other words it was a mess. 

Normally something like this wouldn’t even be on her radar but an old classmate called in a favor. So here she was trying to put a shine on a script that was virtually trash. 

Many a script she’d worked on never saw the light of day and hopefully this one would join that number. It was just that bad. 

What Senator goes on a cute date with a local waitress right in the middle of investigating a colleague for corruption? The marriage of the genres was so poorly done it was insulting.

She had just started to dig in when her phone chimed with a message from Boze.

**_Hey you get invited to Hollywood parties, right?_ **

**_On occasion, but I don’t go to them too often. Why?_ **

All she got in response were those awful ellipses that said he was replying. Which of course disappeared without a response.

With a sigh El reluctantly went back to the script. Cryptic texts from her cousin were better than this damn atrocity. 

Naturally this is when her phone chimes again.

**_So, we need your help. I’ll answer your questions when you get here. We’re sending over a car._ **

What the hell is wrong with that boy? Just because he could abandon his life at the drop of a hat doesn’t mean she can. Like she doesn’t have scripts to write and rewrite or sets to visit. You know a job that paid her to do shit and not fuck off to a think tank for god knows what.

El looked back at the script still open in her computer. The senator was out with the waitress at a 5-star French restaurant and she couldn't read the menu. Oh lord...

She did always wonder what exactly went on at a think tank though...she deserved a break.

~~~

“Ok, what was so important that you had to drag me into a think tank on a Thursday,” El drawled as she walked into a room with a large screen. 

The first thing she noticed was that Mac, Jack, and Matty were all standing, while Boze and Riley were comfortably seated on a couch. Self consciously she took a seat on the sofa next to her cousin. 

The look that the standing trio shared told her that this was not a social call.

“I take it that means that you don’t need my bombass uno skills, then?” 

“Unfortunately, no. What we need are your Hollywood connections,” Matty said, turning toward the large screen on the wall. “Film exec Ian Lance Black has ties to an organization called the White Dahlias.”

“Sounds mildly racist,” El cut in.

“And it gets worse. Our intel tells us that this organization preys on young women trying to get into the industry. Promising them work in exchange for favors but essentially makes them sex slaves instead. He uses extravagant house parties as a cover to funnel girls to his buyers and to spot new recruits.”

Elgin felt her stomach turn at this information. She knew just how easy some young and desperate young girl could fall into something like that. 

“Ok, that is legitimately awful, but I don’t understand how a think tank is gonna take these guys down,” El said looking around at the others.

When Boze and Mac wouldn’t meet her gaze it finally clicked.

“This isn't a think tank, is it?” She asked slowly.

Mac was the one who answered. “No. The Phoenix Foundation is actually a covert government agency.”

El took a deep breath and released it. Maybe if she kept repeating the action she wouldn’t hyperventilate.

“So, what you’re telling me is that you’ve been lying to me for years,” She said in what she hoped was a calm voice. Her eyes glued to Mac as if she were trying to see through years worth of deception.

Breaking away from Jack and Matty, Mac came to kneel in front of her on the couch. Not exactly how she’d imagined getting him on his knees for her.

“You always knew there was a lot I couldn’t tell you about my time in the service. Just turns out it didn’t exactly end when you thought it did,” He said apologetically.

“The only reason you’re telling me now is because you want my help,” Elgin said softly.

Tears stinging her eyes as she still fought to keep her breathing under control.

“We’d get a lot farther if we had someone already in the industry on our side,” Matty said, reminding El there was an audience. 

Shaking her head she replied, “Fine. I’ll help as much as I can, but honestly I’m still pretty small potatoes in the industry.”

“Doesn’t matter. Our intel says you’re on the rise, so you being there won’t raise eyebrows,” Matty said briskly. 

El rolled her eyes. “When is this party?”

“Tonight, we have a team to help you get ready. We leave at 9,” Matty said striding toward the door.

“If the party is in the hills, I’d suggest leaving around 10:45 so we get there a little after 11,” El said quickly before Matty could leave.

“That works. Mac you’re going in with Elgin. Riley you’re running comms, I want to see and hear everything that goes on. Boze and Jack you can keep her company. Stay nearby in case they need back up,” Matty replied as she left the room barely slowing down.

Elgin slumped into the couch and closed her eyes. Her two best friends, one of which is her actual cousin, have been lying to her face and she’d never suspected a thing.

“Well, who's ready for a party?” Jack said, breaking the silence. 

She had to get out of here. Turning to Riley she asked, “So where do people get ready for parties with the Hollywood elite around here?”

Before Riley could reply Bozer cut in, “I’ll take you. It’s basically the walk-in closet of your dreams.”

Elgin squeezed her eyes tight against the beginnings of a headache settling in just behind her left brow. “Nope, nothing I have to say to you right now is going to be nice. You do not want to have a conversation with me right now..”

“Yeah… alright. I’m really sorry, El.”

“Sure,” She said tightly as she walked off barely waiting to see if Riley was going to follow behind her.

Mac didn’t even bother to even try to apologize and that hurt more than she wished it did.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Date rape drug mention toward the end. It's a long past near miss. Its a serious situation so I tried to to treat it as such. However, I'm not trying to dwell on it either.

The last time Mac saw El she looked more upset than he’d ever seen her. Just like with Boze, he felt terrible about keeping such a big part of his life away from her. 

His job was dangerous, hell it had made Boze a target on more than one occasion. If someone tried to hurt her because of him he didn’t know what he would do.

But it was very likely none of it would be legal and he'd be damned if something as trivial as being employed by the government would stop him.

Like it or not she was in it now and he had to do what he did best, adapt.

“So look,” Bozer said with no preamble as he climbed in the van. “El is pissed. Like ‘that time you strapped her barbie to a rocket’ mad.”

Mac winced. That was exceptionally bad, that doll was one of the last christmas presents her dad had given her. Not that he knew that when he duct taped it to a rocket he built.

“Shit-” Mac ran his hand through his hair. “-What do we do? I can’t exactly scrapbook my way out of lying to her for years.”

“Just talk to her. We had our reasons, let’s tell her what they were and let her decide for herself,” Boze said, shrugging helplessly.

“Just put myself at her mercy and let her decide what to do.”

“Shouldn’t be too hard. You’ve been doing it since we were kids,” Bozer said laughing.

“No I haven’t,”Mac replied sceptically.

“Now now, we had our roles. You were the nerd, she was the playmaker, and I was the emotional support friend/cousin that also happened to be a gifted stage hand.”

“Wow ok, nerd? Seriously?”Mac asked, looking affronted. “And what does playmaker even mean in this context?”

“It means that ultimately El decided what our plans were. To be fair, I don’t think she’s fully realized the power that she had. Or should I say has, cause her being mad at us the last few hours has completely thrown us into a tailspin.” 

Mac couldn’t argue with that, growing up El always made up games for them to play. In school she made sure they each attended every science fair and showcase in order to support each other. 

“Yeah, you may have a point.”

“Damn right I do.”

“Wouldn’t change it though.”

“Me neither.”

“Wouldn’t change what?” Asked a voice.

Like she was summoned, Elgin leaned against the sliding door of the van and she looked...wow. 

It wasn’t like they’d never been to a party together before, he’d seen her dolled up. But Hollywood parties must be on another level because she looked exquisite.

Having grown up with her Mac knew a little about how she maintained her hair. So when it seemed to double in length when braided or quadruple when straightened it never really surprised him. 

Despite this though seeing her natural hair several times larger, and longer, than he’s ever seen where earlier it had been in pigtails was jarring, but in a good way.

That coupled with how the bright orange of her dress made her dark brown skin glow made it incredibly hard to answer her question.

“You,” Mac croaked out.

To say that El looked surprised would be an understatement but being the person she is the expression almost immediately smoothed over.

“As if y’all could,” She replied, rolling her eyes and stepping up into the van, careful of the longer hem at the back of her dress.

“True, neither of us are Angelo Reynolds,” Boze said nonchalantly. 

Mac winced. It wasn’t a low blow exactly but no one wanted to rehash a disaster of a relationship. It was like Jack casually mentioning his dead ex-turned alive arms dealer, something you could do if you wanted but would be pretty crappy if you actually did.

As El settled in her seat her eyebrows rose to a level that let him know that Boze was in serious danger.

He had to intervene before things took an even harder turn.

“And neither of us had to earn the individual digits to someone’s number, right El?” Mac asked her with a sly grin.

El stormy expression morphed into a more mischievous one.

“Nope. I can’t say I’ve ever been that desperate,” She smiled sweetly.

Boze’s mouth flapped open a bit before he was able to use his words, “Ok, that’s cold, Mac. And you know Riley eventually just gave me the rest of the numbers.”

“You sound so proud. It sounds like she was just tired of you hounding her for it, and don’t act like you weren’t cause I know you.”

This time it was Boze with a sour expression, “Man, you don’t know nothin. I asked politely and went digit by digit for a respectable amount of time.”

“Right. Well, despite what you believe just because you can gaslight a girl into giving you her number doesn't make you worthy of it,” El said with a roll of her eyes.

Boz made a choking noise, “I didn’t-”

El adjusted her dress so that the low back hem wasn’t draped across the van floor. “Look, I’m not saying that your intentions were bad. But next time when a girl turns you down, maybe take the L.”

Mac would have found the shock on Boze’s face would have been amusing if the issue at hand weren’t serious. Not to mention the fact that it involves a member of the team.

“Did she tell you I made her uncomfortable?” Boze asked sheepishly.

“No, but honestly Wilt being persistent is one thing being a nuisance is another. Granny would've beat yo ass if she were still here, so don’t think for a second that I won’t take up the mantle,” El said seriously. Her face showing no signs of her usual good nature.

Not one to miss an obvious warning Boze nodded in response, “Alright, I hear you.”

“Good, because next time you won’t get a warning.” 

Neither spoke after that and Mac knew better than to step into that minefield. Nana Bozer was a wonderful woman, always with a story and a bit of candy for them, but everyone knew not to cross her. Not if they were smart at least. In a lot of ways El was just like her. 

Luckily he didn’t have to be the one to diffuse things.

“So who's ready to shake a tail feather?” Crowed Jack as he hopped into the driver’s seat.

“That reference is either hella ghetto or hella country,” El said trying not to smile.

“It’s hella country,” Riley chimed, closing the van doors behind her. 

“Oh, really? Where you from, Jack?” El asked buckling her seat belt.

“Texas, born and bred. Little town called Sulphur Springs outside of Dallas,” Jack answered, guiding the van out to the road.

“Is that near Mount Pleasant?”

“Why yes ma'am it is.”

“Our Granny was from Gilmer. I would go back with her to visit her sister,” El said glancing over at Boze.

“And how did you like the greatest state in the West? Was Mr. Big back there too cool to take the trip?”

“Oh, I loved the trip. Luggage strewn about the house, packing up my summer clothes, and just spending the entire time in the same pair of shorts,” El shook her head. Smiling from the sweetness of her childhood memories. 

“I started going as a way to get out of town after my father died and then it sort of became tradition. Besides, once bighead linked up with blondie he didn’t care that I’d disappear for a few weeks each summer.”

“Now now, Mac just kept me company while my favorite cousin was out of town,” Boze assured.

“Whatever bighead. Long story short, my Granny raised me after my parents died. So, if she was going to Texas then I was too.” 

“I’m sorry for your loss, Darlin” Jack said sympathetically as he continued to drive. Switching gears he addressed Mac, “Now when you get in there boy-genius, act like you’re bored, nobody wants to party with a fan.” 

Mac rolled his eyes and responded, “I’ll try to contain myself.”

A special code had to be entered at the gate to prove they were invited. The time it took Jack to fumble for the access code were some of the longest seconds of El’s life. It was looking like super secret agent wasn’t her calling after all.

“Ok, y’all. We’re gonna take the van up the way and monitor you from there. El, if you run into any trouble Mac’s a handy guy to have around and we’re right around the corner, ” Jack said, handing over ear pieces to El and Mac.

  
  


“Ok, but we’re still basically treating this like a regular party, right? Make rounds until you get to who you were actually there to talk to,” El asked, placing the piece in her ear.

Mac nodded, “Then just enjoy the free booze. Within reason, of course.”

“Just make sure you take the mics out first. I’m not trying to listen to a party I wasn’t invited to,” Boze added.

El rolled her eyes as she stepped carefully out of the van.

~~~

It didn’t matter how many times she came to a Hollywood party, of which there weren’t many, she never stopped surprising her how extra they all are. 

A Kat Von D tattoo area here.

A Fenty swag bag there (one perk she was definitely going to take advantage of). 

For people that could afford this stuff 5 times over they sure did get a crap ton of free stuff.

“Do you see him yet?” Asked Boze in her ear.

Mac must have heard too because he answered lowly, “We just made it in. We’re going to mingle and let you know when we spot him.”

Mac turned to El and smiled apologetically, mouthing “he worries” so that Boze didn’t overhear.

She nodded in response, shooting back a smile.

When El spoke it was with the knowledge that she was talking to 4 other people, “I think I see some people I know. Let’s go see.”

El looped her arm through his and lead him over to a couple dressed in tailored plaid suits.

“Dorian, Simone. How’s my favorite superhero and her husband?”

The couple turned and smiled as they approached.

“El! Girl you never come to these things,” Simone said giving her a big hug.

“I know, I know. This one’s never been, so I promised we’d go to one,” She said looking over at Mac affectionately. 

“Oh? And who is this?” Simone asked very obviously sizing Mac up.

Mac went to speak before El cut him off, “He’s a family friend, nosey. We pretty much grew up together.”

The couple shared a look that, honestly El wasn’t sure she appreciated. 

“Alright, family friend. You in the industry?” Asked Dorian.

“With that chiseled jaw I sure hope so,” Simone said slyly.

Now it’s her and Mac’s turn to share a look. She’d been trying to get him to appear in a project for ages, but so far he managed to wriggle out of it every single time. 

“No, actually I work as a consultant for a think tank. I was an EOD specialist for a while but when I left the military I figured it would be a good time to think about switching gears,” Mac said bashfully.

Whatever Simone and Dorian were expecting to hear, that obviously wasn’t it. Simone’s eyebrows were virtually in her hairline and Dorian just blinked owlishly.

Finally Simone spoke. Turning to speak to El directly, “Girl, you better thank your lucky stars that I am happily married. But I’ll tell you this I got family, friends, and a slew of acquaintances that wouldn’t hesitate to shoot their shot. You need to stop playin.” 

Dorian busted out laughing. So loudly that other people turned to look at them in curiosity. Without even looking over at his wife he reached over and plucked her glass out of her hand. Downing it himself in one go.

“If we're in the raw truth stage of the night, that means brawl inducing barbs are 3 ½ drinks away,” he said, placing the glass on a passing server’s tray. 

“That’s only a bad thing if I lose,” Simone replied hip checking her husband.

Who in turn used her closeness to pull her into his arms and whispers into her ear. Taking things from zero to intimate in a split second.

“Well, alright y'all I’ll talk to you later,” El said awkwardly, backing away. Mac matched her pace as she shuffled backward until it was obvious that the couple was no longer paying them any mind.

“So that was interesting,” Mac declared.

“I mean really,” El laughed. “I wouldn’t mind a relationship like that though. You can tell that they’re best friends.”

Mac glanced over at her as her wistful expression scrunched into self deprecation. 

He didn’t say anything for a minute. “That does seem nice,” He said finally. 

A small smile on his face, his gaze holding hers until a voice calling out her name pulled her away. 

“I thought that was you,” Said a man walking up to give El a big hug.

“Oh my god Manny! I thought you were still shooting!” She squealed. Hugging him back just as tightly now that she recognized him.

When they separated Mac was able to get a clear look at him and was confronted with one of the most handsome men he’d ever seen.

“I’m still filming,” He laughed. “This is my one night off for the next few weeks.”

“And you chose to come to a party?”El said skeptically.

“It’s our last season. I gotta drum up work where I can,” He shrugged.

Mac cleared his throat.

“Oh my gosh! Mac this Manny, my favorite actor ever. And Manny this is ⅓ of my childhood triad Mac,” El said waving her arms around with flourish in both of their directions.

“Nice to meet you,” Mac called out.

“Yeah you too,” Manny replied. Eyeing him for a moment before asking, “You don’t act do you?”

“No,” Mac laughed. “I’d probably get stage fright or something.”

“I don’t know. You’ve surprised me with your skills before,” El said teasingly, a bit of an edge lurking underneath.

Thankfully Manny didn’t seem to notice, while on the other hand Mac’s ears were turning red. 

“Well, if you decide to take it up. Ginny a good person to know,” Manny said affectionately.

Mac’s eyebrows raised as he turned to look at her. “Ginny,” He mouthed.

She rolled her eyes in response. “You are the only person who calls me that, weirdo.”

“Blame the nickname gods,” He shrugged. “It was either that or Ellie.”

“Yeah, I would have killed you,” El giggled.

Boze’s voice chimed in, “Is he handsome? He sounds handsome.”

“Yes, he is,” Mac muttered.

“Looks like you got a rival, Macky boy” Jack hooted.

“Ok,” Mac said, turning away slightly from the pair, El showing no signs of being fazed by the additional chatter in her ear. “This is now a one way channel. If I need you, I'll turn it back on.”

“Wait, n-” Boze called out only to be cut off by Mac switching him off.

“Yeah, when you have a gap between projects we should do something. I have a script floating around the indie circuit that you would be perfect for,” El said as Mac turned back toward them.

“For sure, send me the script and I’ll take a look,” Manny said nodding.

“Fantastic, I’ll send it over. I want you to read for Amos.”

“Cool,” He replied, his eyes drifting toward something off to the side. “Hey. Look, I gotta go, but I’ll catch up more with you later. Send me that script!” 

With that Manny disappeared into the crowd.

“He seems nice,” Mac said looking off in the direction he went.

“He is, but that’s actors for you,” El said, shaking her head. “Sorry, I got distracted. I know we’re here for something serious.” 

“No, it's fine. You knowing people is exactly why we're here,” Mac cast a glance around the room. “Is there anyone here you think fits the MO of someone involved with the dahlia?”

El shot him a look, “This is Hollywood. Most men over thirty fit the MO.”

“Fair enough,” Mac replied. Shooting her a look of his own. “What do you say we mingle with the sleaze balls?”

El groaned,“Do we have to?”

“It is why we’re here,” Mac shrugged.

El rolled her eyes and linked their arms, “Fine, but I need alcohol to even begin to deal with that.”

“I think that can be arranged,” Mac replied, leading them toward a server with a tray of drinks.

“So who do you think would be most likely to be involved in human trafficking?” Mac continued.

“That is the worst superlative I’ve ever heard.”

“Banned from all the high schools in California,” he said sarcastically.

El was mid-laugh when she spotted a familiar face hovering above the crowd. Her misplaced mirth shriveled up and died.

Noticing the change in her Mac looked around but didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“El, what’s wrong?” Mac asked ushering her over to where the crowd thinned out.

“I think I know a good candidate,” She replied, taking a deep breath.

~~~

Mac’s jaw clenched tight, the tension causing the muscles to jump erratically, “So what you’re telling me is that he roofied you and just got away with it.”

El shifted uncomfortably, her posture too rigid to be comfortable.

“I was a PA and he was the showrunner’s assistant and friend. Nothing was going to happen to him. I’m just lucky other ladies on the crew knew what was up.”

Mac was glad he had the van on mute because Boz was probably losing his mind.

“Are you ok being so close to him again?”

“I definitely don’t like it, and parton me if I don’t drink while we do it, but you’re here so it’s fine.” 

“I  _ can _ go talk to him alone,” Mac stressed.

“Of course you can, but who's gonna make sure you don’t jerryrig your phone into a taser and get us kicked out of here?”

Mac huffed, “Fair enough.”

Looping her arm through his El took a deep breath and led them over toward the festering trash bag that was James Wynn.

She steered them right past him to the server holding delicious-looking shrimp puffs.

Calmly she picked one up and popped it into her mouth, “Give it a second.”

“Ellie B!” Yelled an obviously inebriated man. “Girl, I haven’t seen you since  _ The League _ wrapped.”

James attempted to saunder over to where they stood, looking at El like she was also a platter offering. His lanky six-foot frame trying and failing to appeal to her in the way tall guys always tried to when a girl was under 5’8.

“Yep, It’s been a while,” El replied, her voice strained. “James, this is my friend Angus.”

Mac only slightly grimaced at the use of his government name.

“Hey, dude,” James said dismissively. His gaze barely shifted over toward Mac.

“Hey.”

Continuing to leer at El, James tried to move closer to her only to be cut off by Mac moving between them; his smile becoming sharper and a touch sinister. 

El put her hand lightly on the crook of his elbow, running upwards until she could curl her fingers over his shoulder.

“Down boy,” she laughed. Pressing herself into his back before stepping up beside him. “Don’t mind him, he's protective.”

Holding up his hands James took a step back, “Message received, no worries. How you guys liking the party?”

Mac and El shared a look. 

Sliding her eyes toward James, she shot him an enigmatic smile, “I like it just fine but Angus thought Hollywood parties had a bit more edge than this. He expected something a bit more thrilling his first time out.”

At this James, for the first time, looked at Mac. His usual frat boy demeanor shifting into something more predatory. 

“Thrilling? Yeah, I hear you,” He says before glancing at the people around them. “These executive types throw crazy parties. I’m talking naked model’s you can eat off of; pop-up dispensaries; super-happy-fun-time rooms throughout.”

“Sounds like a decent Thursday,” Mac said drolly, lazily looking over at El.

James nodded at Mac in a show of respect, “No doubt. Tell you what, next time something’s going down I’ll hit you guys up.”

He gave Mac the whitest dab up she had ever seen before turning to address her, “Ellie B, I like this one. He’s a keeper.”

Throwing her a wink that looked more like a squint. James then nodded, yet again, before walking away.

El waited until he was out of earshot to bust out laughing.

“I know this is serious, but wow he is such a dick. If it wouldn’t end my career I would beat him until he’s a smear on the ground.”

“That could be arranged,” Mac said nonchalantly.

“Ooh! Yes! Put a hit out for me, Daddy!” El squeal, her expression contorted in exaggerated bliss.

Which caused Mac to flush from his collar to the tips of his ears.

He cleared his throat before he spoke again, “We set up the bait pretty well, I don’t think it’ll take him long to invite us. We should probably get going.”

“Fine, but I’m grabbing everything I can get my hands on and you better too. That way I can have multiples of the really good shit.”

“I’ll even get the lingerie bag,” Mac said solemnly.

El raised an eyebrow, “You better… it’s Fenty.”

“Okay… ” Mac replied nodding bemusedly.

Linking her arm through his to steer him toward the freebies El couldn’t help but scoff at him. The man could make a toaster out of batteries and paper clips, but couldn’t remember that Rhianna built an entire empire.

“Just make sure to pick up an extra large, ok? All this T &A cannot be tryna squeeze into a medium.”

“Got it.” Mac said dutifully following her toward the pop-up shops that littered the room. 

~~~

“Thank you El for helping us out,” said Matty. Before El could even sit down on the couch good.

“No Problem. Glad I could help,” She replied mildly.

“James Wynn’s shaping up to be a solid lead. A look at his instagram confirmed that we’re going in the right direction,” Chimed Riley.

With that a picture of James popped up. He was in a dimly lit room, the soft fluorescent lighting suggesting it might be a club. It was a typical gram photo but one thing in particular stood out, there was a logo in the shape of a flower on the wall behind him, a white dahlia.

“So he is a part of it,” El asked. Her stomach turned in revulsion. She could have easily ended up being trafficked like so many others before her if her fellow crew members hadn’t stepped in.

Boze put his arm around her in a hug. 

“It appears so. Now we’re going to use him to see just how far this rabbit-hole goes.” 

Matty said bluntly. 

“Is there anything else you need me to do? To help?” 

Matty reluctantly nodded, “A familiar face will open doors faster than one of ours.”

Mac cleared his throat, “El, you don’t have to do this. We will shut them down, but you don’t have to be a part of it.”

“I’m already a part of it, Mac. Lord knows who James has mentioned me to by now, so I could still end up being dragged into this.”

“I’ll be with you every step of the way. We all will,” He replied with a slow nod.

El cleared her throat, “Yeah. Um, this has been a lot. So I’m going to get back into my clothes and head home.”

Boze shot Mac a look that El didn’t even feel like trying to decode. She was tired, sad, more than a little scared, and she just wanted to go home. Or at least somewhere that felt familiar. 

“Mac, quit making eyes at Wilton and take her home,” Matty barked.

Cutting short whatever conversation the boys were having with their faces.

Mac coughed, “Yeah, of course. I’ll wait for you here and we’ll go when you’re ready.”

El got up from the couch, turned around, smacked both of them upside their heads, before proceeding to leave the room.

Boze rubbed the side of his head and sighed, “We’re in trouble, aren’t we?”

“Oh yeah,” Mac replied frankly.

~~~

When they got back to the house El disappeared into her room without a word.

“Haven’t seen her this upset in a while,” Mac all but whispered as he made a beeline to the fridge pulling out two beers when he got there.

He handed one to Boze and took a long swig.

“Worse since it’s because of us,” Boze said, opening his bottle and taking a sip.

Both men settled on the couch clutching their beers.

Mac stared contemplatively at the floor while Boze continued talking.

“Maybe we could go to one of those movie showings she likes? You know the ones where you picnic in a cemetery.”

“It would have to be a movie she likes,” Mac pointed out.

“She likes tons of movies, it could work.”

“You only do that for your favorites though.”

“Fine, something else then. Something that will make her forget how pissed at us she is.”

“I’m not pissed at you guys,” Elgin suddenly chimed in, causing Boze to yelp and Mac to flinch.

As usual Boze’s mouth recovered first, “Is that why we spent the ride home in silence? Because you’re not mad at us and things are normal?”

El was quiet for a minute, as she pulled cereal from the pantry and grabbed a bowl.

“I  _ was _ upset, but it wasn’t just at you two. I mean I just learned that I was one intervention from being trafficked tonight. Can I have a minute to process this shit?”

Boze had no response except to roll his beer guiltily between his palms, luckily Mac hopped in, “We’re gonna take them down, El. I promise.”

El smiled sadly back at him, “I know you will, Mac. That’s why I can’t really even be that mad at you for lying about your job. You help people, you always have. How could I be mad at you and B for that?”

She squeezed her eyes shut with a shaky inhale. Keeping them closed as she took deliberate breaths in an attempt to keep from crying. It wasn’t long before a set of arms wrapped around her, the clean uncomplicated scent letting her know that it was Mac that was holding her. 

Tucking her head into his neck she allowed herself to finally let go, not caring whether or not she got his shirt wet.

By the time Boze up behind her and hugged them both she was sobbing. The storm of emotion that she’d been holding at bay all night finally making it past the last of her defenses.

The strength of them holding her together until she could do it for herself. 

They stayed like that for a while until her sobs turned into shuttery breaths.

“Thanks, boys. But this sandwich has gone from comforting to hot as balls,” El said as she gave Mac’s chest a pat and squeezed out from between them.

“El, you don’t have to do this. We’re going to take down White Dahlia no matter what, you don’t have to get any closer to this,” Mac said as he took a step back so she could move.

El hopped up to plop onto the counter, giving him an exasperated smile.

“You know I do,” She replied with a shrug.

Mac met her gaze and sighed. There was no way she was budging on this, when he looked at Boze for back-up he only held up his hands in defeat.

“I can’t go back and act like I don’t know. And if I’m not involved I’m not going to know what’s going on. Please, please don’t fight me on this, Mac.”

Mac threw his hands up, mirroring Boze, “Ok, I won’t fight you on it. When are you planning to go on set?”

“I’m supposed to go tomorrow. Why?”

“Because I’m coming with you.”

El didn’t say anything for a long moment. She just blinked slowly at Mac until a slow smile crept across her face. 

Though sure about his decision Mac still faintly shuttered at her expression, to say she looked mischievous would be putting it lightly.

“Even after what happened with that very eager co-star? After which you have turned down each and every set visit I’ve offered,” She said still smiling impishly.

Boze busted up laughing.

“That was a culmination of events. The casting director wouldn’t stop asking if I was sure I didn’t have an agent, so when _ Lauryn  _ approached me between takes and wouldn’t leave me alone it was the last straw,” Mac shrugged.

In between his guffaws Boze spoke, “Literally no one else has that problem, Mac. But what you should have done was walk her through how to turn an alarm clock into a battery pack for a tiny robot. That would have sent her running.”

El snorted but otherwise suppressed her laughter, “You really should think about doing ASMR videos. Your voice along with your brainful of highly specific knowledge would be insanely popular.”

Mac rolled his eyes, “Nice to know I have skills to fall back on.”

“In case, you know, saving the world every few weeks doesn’t pan out,” Boze cracked.

Mac took another sip of his beer. “I don’t know why we don’t all hangout more.  _ So _ sad this only happens once in a blue moon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't know if anyone's interested but I've got more of this coming...


	3. Chapter 3

“Please, tell me that blond is an actor,” Heather, the casting director, pleaded. 

She was the tenth person to ask since she and Mac stepped onto set two hours ago. 

“Nope he’s a scientist and my guest. Don’t bug him.”

She pouted in response muttering, “What an absolute waste” before wandering off.

El looked over to where Mac was touring the props with the movie’s formidable Prop Master, Nathan. The intricate steampunk doohickies unsurprisingly caught his attention immediately, so Nathan finally had someone to fully appreciate his work.

Eventually he found his way back over to her, only after she’d had to watch Winston Duke run away from an exploding tennis ball half a dozen times.

“Alright, I was wrong. Set visits are actually pretty fun, Nate and I even cooked up a new weapon that might make it in the movie.”

“Glad to see you’re having a good time,” She said dryly.

Mac gave an embarrassed cough,“Blending in is an important part of the mission.”

“If that’s the case then you’re not off to a good start. I’ve been fielding questions about you since we got here, but I've made it very clear that no one should bug you.”

She’d tried to play nice with her answers but if any of these sharks found out what he really was, a sweet nerd with the jaw of a Greek God, they’d descended on him like chum filled waters. 

No, she left it at best friend and if that didn’t work she may have resorted to threats, once.

She tried not to betray all this and keep her face and tone as innocent as possible.

Mac studied her for a moment, “... okay. Thank you, I guess?” His gaze moved over the living landscape of the set. “Is there anybody here today you think might be connected?”

Just like that her good mood disappeared, “Not that I can think of, but if they are as widespread as your intel says it could be anyone here.”

Mac hummed, still scanning the area, “With something this scattershot they would have to have a way of identifying each other without alerting people outside of the group.”

“Believe it or not Mac most of these people are artists. They’re always getting some sort of new piercing or… tattoo.”

El trailed off at the thought. Tattoos would be a perfect signal, especially where the women were concerned. Finding any on the crew would be pretty difficult, most of their jobs required protective layering, and once the actors went through hair & makeup it was over. Not unless there was a costume change. Following that train of thought she looked toward wardrobe and picked her way across the set to get there.

“El? Where are you-” Mac asked as he trailed behind her, his words cut short by a near collision with some lighting equipment that had yet to be moved.

Knowing Mac would follow, she stepped into the wardrobe trailer without looking back. The only person in it was the actress who was playing the lead in the B story of the plot. Clad in a bikini for a scene she knew wasn’t in her version of the script, this director was getting on her damned nerves. She was busy covering partially faded bruises on her pale hips and shoulders. 

If it weren’t burned into her mind she would have overlooked the small tattoo of a flower that rested just below her hip bone. Triangular petals bursting outward into a full bloom, it was a dahlia and an indication that she was on the right track. 

“You need help covering those?” El asked as innocently as possible.

The actress startled at her voice but didn’t stop her ministrations, “No,I think I got it.”

“Ok,” El paused. Trying to act as if she was unsure how to say something. “You know if you were in any kind of trouble there are ways to ask for help. Without you even saying anything.” 

The woman looked over at her now and laughed, if she didn’t know better El would have sworn it was a real one.

“I’m not in some sort of trouble. I was at a party and some asshole wouldn’t take no for an answer. It sucked, but I handled it,” She said with a roll of her eyes.

“Was it the Ian Black party? Cause I did see some pretty wild stuff. I even ran into an old friend, James Wynn, he said they could get pretty crazy.”

The actress went still when she name dropped James, “You know James Wynn?”

“We worked on a show together a while back. It was nice to see him. He even offered to invite me and my friend to other parties,” Lord, El hoped her voice sounded casual.

The woman’s gaze now moved over her body in a predatory way. Like she was calculating the sum of her parts to find their investments value, and she didn’t seem to hate what she found. The thought made El’s stomach roil.

“Yeah, you and your friend should come. The parties are usually a lot of fun,” The woman said. She’d said it airly, but El could tell that it was practiced. However, that was only because she knew what to look for.

“Speaking of my friend, I wonder where he disappeared to...” El said, trying to keep her composure.

Mac must have been listening at the door because it was then that she heard him at the door.

“El, you in there?” He asked with a knock.

Lord, bless the man. At the sound of his voice the woman in the chair stopped looking at her like a slab of meat.

“I’m in here,” El called back. Giving the actress a fake smile.

If Mac was surprised to find her alone with a half naked woman he certainly didn’t show it. In fact he barely looked at the other woman at all, his focus was fully on her.

“There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you,” He said. His eyes though asked if she was all right.

“Oh, I was just here talking to...” El trailed off when she realized she didn’t know the actress’ name.

“Taylor,” The Woman chimed in.

“Talking to Taylor,” El finished.

“El was telling me about how I might be seeing her around the party scene now,” Taylor said now looking at Mac.

Who to his credit only just now turned to look at her. “I don’t know the last one we went to was a little underwhelming.”

El did not like the interest that sparked in Taylor’s eyes one bit. Taking a step forward she took a hold of Mac’s arm, making sure to keep things playful.

“Mac here is a bit of an adrenaline junkie,” She said, bumping his shoulder with hers. “Which is as annoying as it is exciting.”

Taylor took them in together now and as to what she found El couldn’t even begin to guess.

“You should give it another try, you never know what will turn up at these parties. Some are better than others,” Taylor said getting up out of her chair. 

Uncaring about her near nudity she squeezed past both of them to exit the trailer. Her bare skin brushing both of them as she didn’t bother to look back. El would give Taylor one thing, The woman definitely knew her angles.

Immediately Mac turned to her, “You ok?” He asked, his free hand moving to cup her shoulder lightly.

“Tell me you were right outside the door the whole time,” El said as she let go of his arm to lean into his chest.

Mac’s arms wrapped around her without hesitation, “I was, but in the future say something before you go off on a hunch.”

El’s cheek rested against his clavicle, his steady heartbeat worked to calm hers down. 

“Yeah, that wasn’t my best move,” She said sheepishly.

“You handled yourself well though. I only came in because it sounded like you wanted me to.” He gave her an extra little squeeze that only served to make her smile.

“Oh, I definitely wanted you to. Homegirl was looking at me like she wanted to put me on the menu.”

She felt Mac shutter, “Never gonna happen.”

He somehow pulled her even closer and she felt his heart pick up in speed. Now it was her turn to comfort him.

“Were gonna stop them, Mac. We’re already well on our way,” She said quietly.

He hummed wordlessly in agreement. “You ready to go?”

“Oh, hell yes. Can we stop by Astro Burger? I deserve some zucchini fries.”

She looked up at him pleadingly. He insisted on driving this morning saying that she’d save money if she didn’t put a whole lot of miles on her rental.

“Of course. My treat,” He said, looking down at her with a smile. 

There was a hiccup in her chest as, all of a sudden, her heart decided to kick into high gear again.

Clearing her throat she lightly pulled herself out of his arms and moved toward the door.

“Then let’s go, Daddy Warbucks,” She said lightly as she waltzed through the door. A bemused Mac followed in behind her.

~~~

“Okay so what do we know?” Boze asked, spreading out in the specific order he was going to eat it.

Burger, fries, and the small side of okra El got for herself but decided she didn’t want.

“We know that at least the women who are connected might have a dahlia tattoo,” Mac replied, ineffectually trying to clean grease from his hands with an oversaturated napkin.

Astro Burger was tasty but messy as hell.

“And that Wynn might be a bigger player than we thought,” El chimed in, handing Mac more napkins in an effort to help with his war on grease.

“So being in his good books could really mean something.” Bozee said around a mouthful of burger.

Lord, this boy’s manners could be appalling Granny would have already been threatening to get the switch God rest her soul.

“Looks like it, when I mentioned his name she completely changed. She went from a normal person to some kind of predator. It was like she was sizing me up. If Mac hadn’t been there I think she would have thought I was targeted to be merchandise,” El said with a shiver.

Mac who was seated on the floor near the couch draped his arm over her leg. His large hand moving in a circular motion over her knee. It was a blessing and a curse that she’d changed out of the clothes she’d worn to set, because the shorts she wore now provided direct access to her skin.

They’d been innocently flirting since high school, rather she’d been flirting with him. But these past few days have been... different. Not in a bad way, but also not in a way she was totally comfortable with either. Not if it was going to mess with their dynamic.

Not that any of that meant she was going to move his hand. 

Bozee took in their position but said nothing as he continued to eat.

“Going forward we need to make it clear that we’re together and that this is something we intend to do together,” Mac said thoughtfully, his hand still roving over her knee.

Now Boze spoke up, “So you guys are gonna pretend to date now?”

El and Mac shared a look. 

“I...guess so,” El said reluctantly.

With the very real, very weird fluttering her heart has been doing this probably wasn’t the smartest idea. But it would be a solid reason for them to stick together without raising suspicion. 

Boze looked over them again with a skeptical eye, “Right. Ok, let’s see how that goes,” He said before turning back to the last of his fries.

Wow, ok that was rude. “What? You don’t think we can’t fake it. We’ve known each other our whole lives, it’ll be a cake walk,” El said defensively.

Boze only smiled at her placatingly, the effect ruined by the fact that he had a mouthful of food. 

“It will be,” She insisted.

Boze just nodded and Mac was unusually quiet, his hand though had thankfully stopped its movement. 

She wouldn’t let the traitorous pitter patter of her heart get in the way of bringing the White Dahlia down. Or ruin her friendship for that matter. 

~~~

The rest of the day passed without much fanfare. It was almost like the visit that she’d expected to have in the first place. They watched movies, 80s horror for Boze and sentimental drama for Mac, and started a Netflix show at El’s insistence. 

It was normal, which of course also meant that it inevitably had to come to an end. Around 8:30, halfway into their third episode of Living With Yourself, her phone chimed with a message from an unknown number. 

“Guys, look,” El said from her corner of the couch.

Sitting upright she held out her phone so they could see. Boze, who lounged on a pile of cushions on the floor, was closest and read the message out loud.

“Ellie B! My bud Max is having a shindig you should come thu!!” He recited, not bothering to read the Beverly Hills address.

“Looks like we’ve got our invite,” Mac said a little grimly.

“So what do we do now?” El asked, pausing the tv. Not even Paul Rudd’s charm could delay the knot of anxiety forming in the pit of her stomach.

Mac gently took the phone from her hands. 

“I’ll forward this to Matty and Riley. We can get comms online from here, so we probably won’t have to report to the Phoenix Foundation. For now let's get dressed cause it looks like we’re going to a party.”

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit'o racism in this one, not really the focus though and it's in passing. Also I am so over inviting people to "the cookout" but as I mentioned I wrote this a while ago.

Mac was ready first as he only had to throw on some half decent clothes, it was a glorified house party after all. As he sat in the kitchen nursing a coffee Boze came up beside him.

“You sure this is gonna work?” Boze asked.

“Yeah, I already talked to Matty. Riley was already at the foundation, so they’re going to listen in on the comms from there. Jack is already in the area surveilling the building, so we have an idea of who all might be involved. We’re good,” Mac said confidently.

Boze listened and nodded along as Mac talked before clarifying, “I meant with you pretending you and El are a thing.”

Mac felt his mouth flounder wordlessly, a series of noises escaped his mouth before he took a deep breath and started over.

“I don’t see why not,” Mac said steadily, the tips of his ears turning red. “Like she said we’ve known each other our whole lives.”

Boze’s eyebrow raised in response. “And I’ve known you both your whole lives. You’ve been doing the cha cha around each other since 8th grade.”

“That is not true,” Mac scoffed, picking up his mug and taking it over to the sink.

“Sure it’s not,” Boze replied casually. “Just like it’s not true that you hated Jessie Mason and Daniel Eng.”

Mac groaned, “Was I a bit overprotective when it came to Jessie, perhaps-”

“You literally threatened him in our science class,” Boze interjected.

“No, I only asked about the decomposition rate of organic matter,” Mac corrected.

“While looking directly at him,” Boze added. “Then you had the nerve to act like you didn’t know why he broke up with her.”

“It was 9th grade it could have been anything,” Mac said sharply making his way back to the living room to plop on the couch.

“The boy was a drama nerd, it wasn’t even that serious.”

Mac pretended to look intently at his phone, maybe if Boze thought he was prepping that would get him off his back.

Still he couldn't help but add, “Even you didn’t like Angelo, though.”

Now it was Boze’s turn to scoff, “Of course not. Angelo was a dick who tried to change her.”

“Exactly,” Mac said curtly. Dearly hoping that was the end of the conversation.

Angelo Wells was a chapter that none of them really wanted to relive. He’d tried to take El’s bright and crazy imagination and style and turn her into arm candy. One well placed ‘suggestion’ at a time. That kind of manipulation from a high schooler would cause anyone to be concerned. It certainly didn’t help that not long after they got together she started avoiding him if Boze wasn’t around.

Boze opened his mouth to respond only to be cut off by the opening of a door. He only had time to shoot him a look saying ‘this isn’t over’ before El appeared.

She looked great, not that she didn’t always but her dressed up was always something else. Her hair was pulled up into a puff as voluminous as it was striking, while she wore an old Sailor Moon shirt and a cotton candy colored skirt. 

In short she looked adorable, and they were about to head into a lion’s den.

El took in their expressions and attempted to win an argument that never occurred to him. 

“I know wearing a skirt to a traffickers party sounds insane, BUT I have my Docs on and if I have to haul ass I don’t think it matters much if I’m showing a little too,” El said defiantly. 

Mac threw his hand up in surrender, “You look great, and tonight is supposed to be more ‘meet the players’ than go in guns blazing. We need a better idea of how they operate and what their chain of command is.”

El nodded, “Schmoozing with no boozing.”

“Exactly,” Mac smiled, getting up from the couch to stick a small comm behind her ear. “Boze and the team will be listening in, so if we really need it help won’t be far.”

“Good luck you two. Let me know if any of those industry clowns look at you crazy,” Boze said, smacking his fist into his palm. 

“Sure thing GI Boze,” El laughed, as she walked to the door.

Mac beat her there, so he held the door open for her to pass.

As they walked to the car Mac’s mind decided to betray him with the whisper of a thought.

_ This is almost like a date.  _

Except for the fact that it absolutely wasn’t and there were no less than four people listening to every word they said. They had a job to do and he wasn’t going to let some delayed quarter life crisis get in the way of that.

~~~

Maddox Landis may have been an awful human being, but one thing was clear when they entered his house, the man could throw one hell of a party. 

El was no stranger to Hollyweird and she was impressed, so she could only imagine how Mac felt.

She gave him a sidelong glance, he looked focused, his eyes surveying the room and it's occupants. It was that kind of intentness that had led to truly foolish decisions in the past, hell in college she actually dated an archer, so when she finally looked away she did her best to pretend like she never saw it.

“Have you ever met Maddox,” Mac asked, his lips hovering close to her ear to be heard over the music.

“No, I only know him by reputation. He’s a well known manipulative creep, but he’s a Hollywood legacy and that opens doors,” She said lowly into his ear.

Mac only nodded in response, his attention now caught by a woman that was clearly drunk. 

She was dancing, if one could call it that, with a man that was wrapped around her more tightly than a squid’s hug. If someone told her he actually had eight arms there would be nothing in her view to contradict them.

The woman's arms around his neck hung limply, only a slight twitch and the weak shuffle of her feet indicated she was conscious. Mac took a step forward to intervene when the man moved her hair back to kiss her neck. The action revealed a flower tattoo at the base of her neck and shoulder, a dahlia.

Mac looked away with a curse, of course she was a part of it, and there was nothing he could do to help her without alerting whoever might be watching them.

Now it was El’s turn to look around the room. Picking up a forgotten nearby drink she pretended to take a sip.

“El, what are you-”

“Don’t look at me like that! You know if I pre-game with sangria I don’t wanna stop,” She said too loudly, her voice taking a nasally tone he’s never heard from her before. 

She pretended to take another sip and started to dance, badly and with no regard for her neighbors. When she made it alongside the couple she flailed with even more abandon, waving her pilfered drink and swinging her hips in wide arcs.

She continued this until she managed to virtually toss her drink on the pair.

With a huge, fake, gasp she stopped dancing.

“OHMYGOD I am so sorry,” El squeaked, ineffectually patting at the woman she’d soaked, who now looked much more alert.

And much more pissed.

“Watch where the fuck you’re going you sloppy bitch,” The woman bit out, pulling herself from the man’s arms and walking off to presumable find a bathroom.

The man, who was also wet, watched her walk away in confusion before shooting El a glare and walking off.

Before the interaction was even over El felt Mac standing behind her. Her secret weapon in case things went too far, just like always.

“That was inspired,” Mac said into her ear, the bass of his voice sending unwanted shivers down her spine.

She quickly turned around and continued to play drunk. Throwing her arms around his shoulders and leaning her weight on him.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” She said in the same affected voice.

Mac stared at her a beat too long, like he wanted to say something that he changed his mind about just that quickly.

“There are 63,360 inches in a mile,” He replied seriously. 

The unexpected answer made El break character, so when she threw her head back in laughter it was a sound he was familiar with.

“Thank you Captain Brain,” She smiled, “Seriously though, we’ll probably see more of that kind of thing and just being here implies that we’re cool with it.” 

She didn’t like it but she might not be able to help the next girl.

Mac grimaced, “We’ll deal with it later. For now let’s look for Wynn.”

With a nod El pulled him closer, “Let’s pretend to dance and see if he’s around here. We can look around the back after that.”

Mac assented by holding her a little tighter, luckily SZA was playing so their slow movements didn’t draw any attention.

From over each other’s shoulders they had a full scope of their half of the room. Mac had a view of the constantly opening door and El could see the kitchen and hallway to rooms set further back. They both scanned the crowd a few times before pulling back to look at each other, with just a look they knew Wynn hadn’t been spotted. 

Mutually they decided to go out to the backyard to run the same check out there. El led them through the crowd until Mac tucked her under his arm as they walked through the sliding glass door. Mac always had a bit of a protective streak and in circumstances like this she certainly wasn’t going to complain about it. 

Funnily enough James was the first thing they saw when they got out there. He and Maddox were holding court around a fire pit like they were actually riveting human beings. 

Sadly the moment they saw him they were spotted in kind.

“Ellie B!! Glad you made it gurl,” He shouted mid sentence. 

El saw him notice Mac’s arm around her shoulders. 

“Glad you and your friend could make it,” He continued with a leering grin. “Come over here and hangout.”

Without looking at each other, they really didn’t need to, Mac and El picked their way over to the fire pit and sat down. There was only one padded wicker chair left so they had to share, thankfully she was with one of the only people she didn’t feel weird sitting on. 

Mac sat first and El draped her legs over the sides, free to kick her legs as she pleased.

Their seating arrangement also didn’t escape Wynn’s notice, “So El Biscuit how do you like the party?”

El made sure to smile brightly. “This party is fucking lit,” She enthused.

Her enjoyment bolstered Wynn, at her words his chest puffed out a good two inches.

“Drink up and have a good time,” He tried to reply smoothly. The effect ruined by the fact that he had absolutely no charm. 

“You too bro,” He added to Mac as an afterthought.

El giggled a little too freely, “I dunno, I might need to pause. I pregamed a little too hard.”

This led to a course of boos, El played along and flipped everyone off in kind.

“What about you, friend? What’s your poison?” Wynn asked, fully addressing Mac for the first time since they sat down.

Mac pretended to think about it for a second. 

“Control,” Mac said finally. “I like to know exactly what I’m doing and why.”

This set off another course of boos, but this time Wynn didn’t chime in. Instead he took in Mac with a hard glint in his eye that was gone just as quick as it came.

“Damn El, you didn’t tell me you and your friend were into some kinky shit,” Wynn crowed, his antics setting off laughter among the others.

Maddox decided to chime in, “Hey I’ve been looking to write some Christian Grey jungle fever type shit. Let me know if you guys are interested in starring.”

This time the laughter from the crowd made El tense up, Mac hugged her closer and spoke up.

“Full offense but I've seen some of your work, so that’s a hard pass,” Mac said, his voice hard and his face stony. 

This time the laughter was at Maddox’s expense, but El was still on edge. 

“I’m so sorry, El,” Mac whispered in her ear. 

The group around them continued talking around them, having already moved on.

“Yeah, it’s not the first time something like that has happened, certainly won’t be the last,” She whispered back.

Not that it was ok, but at least this time she was with someone she trusted, and that in and of itself was a gift.

Mac gave her an extra squeeze before turning back to the conversation. The first thing he saw was Wynn once again watching him and El.

Meeting his gaze Mac inclined his head briefly before moving on, both acknowledging Wynn and dismissing him. A sure fire way to get under his skin, but hopefully in an effective way.

As conversation continued around the firepit they tried to be as friendly as possible. And as one by one other party goers were seduced by other attractions offered by the host it became clear that the time for talking was coming to an end. 

With a whoop El hopped off Mac and did a stretch she knew caused her skirt to test the limits of public decency. When she spun around and saw the dazed faces of Mac and a few of their other ‘new friends’ she considered it a job well done.

“I wanna dance,” She said simply, holding her hands out to Mac with a grabby motion.

Music could be heard blaring from the house and as entertaining as the conversation outside had been there didn’t seem to be any valuable tea being spilled here.

Without hesitation Mac took her hands and got out of his seat. Following her as she bopped back inside.

They were almost to the door when she whispered, “Play along, then let’s make a mad dash for the back of the house.”

They were enveloped by the bustle and sound of the party before he could ask what she meant.

The music changed from SZA’s laidback mumble to Megan Thee Stallion’s rhythmic low tones. The change among the dancers was immediately obvious, subtle sways transformed into an energetic writhing mass.

El glanced at Mac before leading him into the fray. Lord knew if he could handle what she was about to throw at him but either way she figured she could play it off.

As they made their way through the other dancers El let herself fall into the music. Her hips took on a life of their own and Megan’s confidence became her own.

Mac was cool and definitely invited to the cookout but she and Boze had never tried him out at the house party before. Let’s see how he fairs she thought to herself with a devilish smile.

Once they made it so far El stopped and pressed back into Mac, with no hesitation he brought his arms around her. 

They’ve danced together before so she wasn’t surprised that he was on beat. What did surprise her was the fact that he matched the wine of her hips perfectly. 

So well in fact that she decided to take off the training wheels, at least a little bit. Moving out of his arms a bit she bent her knees and let Meg’s spirit move her. 

_Bad bitch tastes like cherry kiwi_   
_Real big titties, these double DDs_

She was throwing it in a circle and Mac, bless his heart, was catching it everytime. She wasn’t no little thing either, so for him to receive her gifts more or less full force was impressive. 

With no warning she dropped down and popped her way back up, her skirt flaring dangerously each time. Mac unsurprisingly remained a gentleman, though once she was standing again his hands found her hips in a barely there hold. 

Still moving to the beat El turned around to look at Mac for the first time since they started. 

Luckily the music drowned out her gasp but her stunned expression was clear as day. To say Mac looked dazed was generous, he looked absolutely wrecked, but underneath all of that there was also a heat that she’d never seen from him before. 

The look made her heart skip a beat, she felt a rush of something rise up to answer. 

Biting her lip, a movement that he followed intently, she removed his hand from her waist and led him off the dancefloor to the hall that led to the back of the house.

The hallway was dimly lit and had several doorways leading to what she supposed were bedrooms. Most of which were occupied, if the sounds of panting and moaning were any indication. 

There was one room at the end of the hall that sounded empty so with a brief knock she opened it and let them in.

Immediately she could tell that it was an office and a surprisingly nice one at that. Mac who’d come in behind her closed and locked the door. The sound of the lock clicking echoed across the room, just over the muffled sound of the music down the hall. It moved across her already frazzled nerves and ratcheted up her awareness of him ten fold.

As he made his way across the room to her, her heart kicked up to a gallup. He didn’t look dazed now he looked determined, but that heat seemed to have taken up a permanent residence in his eyes.

“Untuck your shirt,” He said, his voice low and rough in a way she’d never heard before.

She gave a slow blink as she tried to process the words. “I’m sorry, what?”

Mac finally broke eye contact and reached into his pocket, pulling out a white handkerchief. 

“Untuck your shirt. If you have to touch anything use it as a buffer or wipe off your prints as best you can,” he said as he strode over to the desk. Carefulling opening the drawers and examining their contents.

“Right,” El said faintly. 

With a cleansing breath she attempted to change gears, though the transition wasn’t quite as seamless as Mac’s. She walked over to the bookcase that lined one wall and examined it. It was full of a surprising array of titles some of which were surprising others not so much. A flagged up copy of the  _ Sex Criminals _ , not surprising though a bit on the nose, a copy of Agnes and the Hitman, much less expected. Not to mention the countless scripts, some obviously his and others that were well known classics. 

Turning around she looked at the opposite wall, it was almost entirely covered in corkboard. Index cards were strewn about in a way that a non-writer would find incomprehensible, nearby sat a shelf with fresh cards and other supplies. All of that must be a new project. With how secretive screenwriters could be it was a wonder this room had been unlocked in the first place. 

“You find anything,” El asked softly.

“Maybe,” Mac replied, not looking up from the laptop that sat on the desk.

His face was pulled taut with concentration as he disregarded his own instruction and clicked around the laptop with his bare hand.

“Check out these emails,” He beckoned. “Send Miss  Daaé and Mina for tonight. I’ll return them to the Rouge when it's over. ”

“That has to be referencing the girls right? It’s not even disguised that well,” El said as she looked over his shoulder. 

“You know what they’re talking about?” Mac asked, finally looking over at her.

El shrugged, uncertain all of a sudden, “Well the names are from old monster movies, they’re the female leads. And the Rouge I assume is the Moulin Rouge which was quite literally a whorehouse.”

Mac nodded excitedly, “So in other emails when they mentioned names like Marian, Holly, and Erin?”

El nodded back. “All famous movie ladies,” She confirmed.

“So we know there are at least two victims here tonight. One being the girl we saw earlier and another we’ve yet to spot,” Mac said contemplatively. 

“Well, Christine  Daaé was a singer and a well known one at that. Maybe that’s why they gave her the name. ”

“Couldn’t hurt to look around,” Mac said with a tick of his eyebrow. 

This of course was right when the knob to the door turned.

El’s heart jumped into her throat when the door began to rattle as the person on the other side grew more frustrated.

“Get the hell out of my office,”A voice called. 

Shit it was Landis, there way they could just stroll out without looking suspicious. 

Fearfully El looked away from the door toward Mac, who to her surprise looked pretty calm. 

Purposefully Mac moved toward her, one of his hands finding her waist and the other her jaw. She didn’t have time to ask what he was doing before his mouth found hers.

As far as kisses went it was good. Quite good. If she weren’t kissing her best friend she’d even go as far as saying it was the best kiss she’d ever had. 

His hand gently cupped her neck, his thumb tilting her jaw upward as his mouth teased hers. It was astoundingly soft, (was that weird to say?), and it was almost as if he just knew exactly how to kiss her. Softly with an increasing edge that caused her to actually moan when he nipped her lower lip. 

When he pulled away the first thing she noticed was that her pink lipstick quite literally coated his mouth. The second thing was that his hands, both of them, had somehow managed to burrow themselves under her shirt and were firmly squeezing the soft flesh of her back. Right above the rise of her ass.

She had forgotten about the door entirely until the pound of a fist against the door rang through the room.

Mac wiped the computer with his handkerchief and put the desk back as he found it before jogging to the door. El followed in close behind him.

Mac swung open the door as Maddox’s fist swung to pound it again, his hand now comically passing through the open doorway. 

“What the fuck man! I thought I made it clear this room was off-,” Maddox spat, before he registered Mac at the door. 

As recognition filtered into his gaze he looked past Mac to where El was huddled at his back. Meeting his gaze she tried to project an apologetic yet confident attitude, something along the lines of ‘A girl’s got to get her kicks, but sorry it was in your office’.

“Now now,” Maddox chided smarmily. “This is exactly the kind of activity we support here. Next time feel free to find a nice spot in the living room and go to town.”

He eyed El in a way that literally made her skin crawl, she tried not to shutter from the distaste.

“Sorry dude,” Mac grunted. “Got carried away won’t happen again.”

Mac stepped back and let her leave the room first. The gentlemanly act ruined by the fact that Maddox didn’t move an inch out of her way, causing her to squeeze past him.

Behind her she heard a thud and a grunt, when she looked back Maddox was holding his shoulder and Mac had made it through the door.

Maddox glared at his back and murmured something along the lines of junglepussy, she was sure he wasn’t talking about the rapper, the racist fuck.

From there Mac usuhred her out of the house and back to the car. As they drove away he spoke directly to the team, “Riley see if you can track down the owner of romancingthestones@me.com. That’s who Landis was sending and receiving coded emails from. I didn’t see Wynn on the way out, but I’m sure he’ll hear about our run in with Maddox. We’ll see how or if he reacts.”

Mac glanced at El before continuing, “I think we’re done for tonight, so we’re gonna get off the comms and head home. See you in a while, B.”

With that he reached behind his ear and pulled off the small device behind it, El followed suit and did the same.

For a minute that rode in silence, their steady breaths and the purr of the engine the only audible sounds. 

“Is it always like that,” El blurted out, when the quiet became too much for her nerves.

Mac chuckled before answering, “Not usually no. Usually I end up tied to a chair or some kind of explosive.”

El made a high pitched noise in response. Clearing her throat she tried again, “So that kissing gambit doesn’t usually work?”

Mac glanced over at her before pulling into the abandoned parking lot of a Whole Foods.

“I didn’t mean to offend you El,” He said apologetically. His body turned toward hers and he reached for her hand. 

Against her will she flinched at his touch, his hurt expression burning her to her very core.

“You didn’t offend me Gus Gus,” She said softly, knowing full well he hated that nickname.

“I was just surprised. It took me off guard, is all,” She continued.

“The ‘kissing gambit’ isn't a usual thing. Normally it’s Jack that’s with me and I promise you I’m not kissing him,” He smiled.

“Cowboys not your type?” She asked playfully.

“Not that one,” He grimaced.

She could see that. Whenever she mentioned him before she’d understood Jack to be a trusted friend, perhaps even a bit of a father figure. Not the type of person you kissed on the regular, especially not like how he kissed her. 

She bit her lip before she spoke, the action triggering the memory of Mac doing the same, “It was a pretty good kiss though.”

She said it softly, deliberately not meeting his gaze by looking out the window to the late night traffic on the street.

He didn’t say anything in response and for a moment she wasn’t sure he heard her. When she looked over to check however she suddenly felt superglued to her seat. 

He had that same heat in his eyes from earlier and his eyes were trained on her mouth with laser focus. 

“That’s not quite how I would describe it.” His voice was low and a tad strained.

“And how would you describe it?” She whispered faintly.

Mac paused for a while, so long El thought he wasn’t actually going to answer.

“Like coming home,” He said simply, his voice so quiet it was almost drowned out by a passing car. 

El’s already thumping heart took off at a gallop, he was right. As surprising as the kiss had been at the time it was also achingly familiar. Like finding a pair of shoes you’d forgotten you’d bought only to have them fit perfectly. It sounds stupid, but the feel of it is oh so satisfying.

“Oh. Wow. I mean I’ve never had any complaints, but that is a first,” El said under her breath.

Sighing, she screwed her eyes shut. A man says your kiss feels like home and she immediately brings up other people, why was she like this?

Mac took a deep breath and released it. “It doesn’t have to mean anything El. We got out without raising suspicion and that was the point.”

El felt her heart drop, this was definitely not where she envisioned this going. To be fair a lot of her higher cognitive functions were still rebooting after that kiss, but him saying kissing her felt like a homecoming and dismissing it in the same breath was a curveball she never could have predicted… 

So she responded like she always does in uneven social situations, with vitriol. “Pretty cold words coming from someone who’s still wearing my lipstick.”

With a curse Mac flipped down his visor and opened the mirror, scrubbing his mouth like he could wipe off her kiss if he tried hard enough.

“I’m not trying to be cold El. I’m just trying to say that what happens because of the mission doesn’t have to affect _ us _ .”

“Duly noted,” She spat.

Turning away she straightened out to glare out the windshield. If she looked at him any longer she just might hit him and her granny taught her better than that.

She could feel Mac stare at her for a while longer, it was a real struggle to not roll her eyes at him. He wanted to throw puppy dogs at her now  _ after  _ he’s said some stupid insensivive shit. 

With a sad sigh he started up the car and pulled back on to the road.

They sat in silence all the way home.

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

When they made it back to the house Boze was still up waiting for them. 

“Glad to see you back in one piece. Y’all cut it pretty close there at the end,” Boze said looking up from the prosthetic he was making.

Why anyone would want a nose that bowed at the bridge was beyond her, but who was she to shit on creative expression.

“Guess we did,” El said cheerily. “Glad it all worked out though.”

Without breaking her stride El strode past Boze and went down the hallway to her room. A controlled and final sound of a door closing signaling her arrival there. 

Boze slid Mac an unsurprised look. “You messed up, didn’t you?”

“No,” Mac scoffed. Then he winced. “Maybe. Yes.”

“So you kissed, which by the way I had to cleanse myself after hearing, and then somewhere from the party to the house you said or did something to piss her off.”

Boze put down the butterknife he’d been using to shape the nose and fully turned to Mac who couldn’t look him in the eye.

“I just said that the kiss didn’t have to change anything,” Mac said defensively.

Boze looked skeptical. “You didn’t say or do anything else?”

Mac looked up toward the ceiling. “I also might have said that kissing her felt like coming home,” he said quickly, the words running together in his push to get them out.

Boze mouthed the words back like it would help him figure out a puzzle. 

“I love you like a bother Mac,” He started. “And Elgin is my blood. So I’m gonna say this one time and one time only. And keep in mind that I’m not taking sides.”

Mac nodded and waited for him to continue.

“You are so dumb, man” Boze blurted out. “I've watched you pine over El for years and this is the shit you do?”

“I have not-” Mac started, only to be cut off as Boze continued.

“She flirts with you all the time and both of you have been too chicken to get your stuff together. Now if you're not interested, fine, but don’t lead my cousin on. She’s an adult she can take a no, but to say something like that then say it doesn’t mean anything is cruel. And that’s not the Mac I know.”

“I wasn’t trying to be cruel,” Mac responded in frustration. “I just didn’t want her to feel like anything had to change.”

Boze gave Mac a pitying look and packed up his project. “It already has, man.”

Without another word he walked down the same hallway El had just disappeared down.

~~~

Mac watched Boze walk to his room and blew out a heavy sigh. 

He was right, the kiss, an act of subterfuge it may have been, had changed things. If that was true for him it was probably true for El too, but what if he didn’t want to change anything?

Their friendship worked, it always had, and when something works that well you don’t tamper with it unless you're sure of the outcome.

Mac moved around the living room straightening up Boze never remembered too. Frankly Mac was just happy he’d cleaned up his FX supplies. Tossing a pillow back on the couch he went to the fridge. The first thing he spotted was a cluster of brown glass bottles, Zingaro stickers all turned forward so it would be the first thing seen. 

El’s handiwork was all over this, she was the only person that knew he liked Zingaros. With a smile he picked one up and looked for a bottle opener. 

Taking his first sip, Mac dropped himself down on the couch. The bitter taste of the beer bringing him back to a little open restaurant in Indore. Mac smiled at the memory of what turned out to be one of the best trips he’d ever taken.

They’d decided to take a trip after their junior year of college, rather than come back home for the summer. Naturally the suggestion was El’s idea but Boze took it and ran with it. They'd decided to go to Indore rather than New Delhi or Mumbai because it was a slightly off the beaten path and cheaper. 

What they forgot to check though was the weather forecast. Monsoon season started early so shortly after they arrived it started raining, hard. For most of their five day trip they never went farther than a block or two away from their hostel. Except for the last day, the sky was suspiciously clear, rather than waste it went around to as many places as they could. Boze on the other hand pretended to have a cold so he could hang out with the granddaughter of the old woman who ran the hostel.

They toured the Gandhi Hall, Lal Baag Palace, and stopped in stores that they’d only seen closed before. And to end it all they had dinner at the reopened night market, which was packed with people also trying to take advantage of the break in the weather.

It was perfect.

After that whenever El managed to come across some Zingaro she made sure to save one for him, even now. 

Mac sighed again, the sound disturbing the silence of the empty room.

“I messed up.”

Mac closed his eyes and thunked his head once on the back of the couch. He was still in that position when he heard a door open and the shuffle of slippers come down the hall.

“You just found those,” El asked, her tone distinctly uninterested.

Mac cracked an eye open and saw her making her way to the fridge. She promptly went about making a sandwich and completely ignoring him.

Finishing the last of his beer Mac got off the couch and made his way to the recycling bin in the kitchen. The act brought El’s profile into his direct line of sight and he was utterly unprepared by how sad she looked. 

Mac felt his stomach drop, this was all his fault. He had to fix it… 

“I’m sorry, El.”

She paused for a moment, bread and lunch meat still on the counter.

“What for? You were right. It doesn’t have to mean anything,” El said, going back to her task.

“Maybe not, but it meant something to me and that scares me.”

Mac’s tone was hushed as he approached her. “I don’t want to lose you.”

El turned to him then, the red of her eyes betraying the fact she’d been crying.

“You don’t think I’m scared too? Your other best friend is my cousin, who is also your roommate,” She said heatedly. “Even if things implode between us we’ll still have to see each other. At Boze’s wedding if nothing else.”

“You think he’ll get married?” Mac smiled.

“The boy loves love,” She shrugged back. “He’ll find someone eventually.”

They softly laughed together for a moment. The idea of Boze throwing a wedding providing endless possibilities for mayhem.

El sobered first, her smile fading as she continued to look at Mac.

“Your approach was trash, but the reasoning behind it was solid,” El murmured. 

Try though he might, Mac could seem to get his mouth to move. Instead he stood silently and stared at her, regretful that his actions had brought them here.

“Let’s just get through this and forget about it, ok? Things are already weird and it’s really bumming me out,” She continued tiredly, putting away the ingredients she’d used and packing up her sandwich.

Though Mac didn’t quite know how he’d wanted this to play out, he knew it wasn’t like this. El looked so sad and resigned, just looking at her broke his heart. And it was all his fault.

“Ok,” He said hoarsely.

If that's what she wanted then that’s what they’d do. He wasn’t trying to make this any worse than it already was. In his gut though he couldn’t help feeling like they were making a mistake.

With a short nod El left the kitchen and went back the way she came. All Mac could do was watch her as she walked away, his heart dropping further with every step she took.

~~~

“Ok what do we know?” Matty asked, pacing the length of the room. 

She’d been gracious enough to set their debrief in the afternoon considering the fact that they’d had a long night. Now that they were all here though she was expecting rapid fire answers and results.

“We know how they reference their operation in code. I’ve already given Riley Landis’ email, that should give us an idea of who he reports to,” El said confidently. 

“I’ve got an algorithm flagging relevant emails and contacts as we speak,” Riley chimed in.

She and El shared a smile and bumped their shoulders together. El fit in like she’d been working with them for ages, she looked right at home next to Riley on the couch. 

Mac didn’t know when they’d become so friendly, but then again it wasn’t like she’d spoken to him since early that morning in the kitchen. She had been on her phone a lot during brunch, she could have been talking to her then.

“I think we can also solidly say that the women involved all have a dahlia tattoo somewhere on them. We saw one at the party and the email we found suggested another. We didn’t get to look for her though,” Mac commented.

“Any chance of turning any of these girls?” Matty asked contemplatively. 

“Unlikely,” Jack called out from a nearby chair. “With these kinds of operations victims get pulled in real deep real quick. Trying to flip one could tip them off and good luck trying to bring them down after they’ve closed ranks.”

Matty blew out a frustrated breath, Jack was right and they all knew it. She was about to say something else when El’s phone started ringing.

She pulled it out and looked at the caller ID.

“Shit, It’s Wynn. What do I do?” She asked, her voice rising in panic.

“Answer and act as normal as possible. Our system will record the call,” Mac said quickly. El nodded and took a deep breath, meeting his gaze for the first time all afternoon.

Now calm, she swiped to answer the call, “Hello?”

_ “Ellie B!!”  _ Wynn’s voice boomed, so loud the others could hear it easily.

“What do you want, fool?” El asked with a roll of her eyes.

_ “What I want is to talk business. What do you say we go to Gewn tomorrow and talk ideas,”  _ He replied good naturedly. Something about his tone though told her he knew he wouldn’t be refused.

El looked to Matty for instruction, who in turn nodded her approval to continue.

“Sounds interesting. What kind of project were you looking to start? Just so I know what ideas to dust off.”

_ “I’m looking for a movie to take to a friend over at Universal. An actress I know is looking to branch out and is getting a lot of interest,”  _ He responded, sounding like he was going through a tunnel.

“Anyone I know?” El asked casually.

_ “Naomi Pruitt, she just left that show-” _

“The Expansion Theory, right. I remember there was a whole thing about her leaving.” El nodded to herself absently. “Do you know what her range is like?”

_ “I’m telling ya El B the girl is mad talented and mad cute. She's a little busy but she’s gonna come in and meet you so you can get a feel of her.” _

El’s stomach turned at his word choice, if she was some other person those words would probably have had a more literal meaning. Hell, for Wynn they likely already did.

“Sounds good. I know Gwen opens at 5, so let’s say we meet at 6?” She suggested.

Wynn didn’t hesitate,  _ “It’s a date. Listen I’m getting another call I’ll text you when I have the reservation.” _

With that the call abruptly ended and was left staring at her phone.

“Looks like we’ve got our next step,” Matty said with a smirk.

“There’s no way she’s going in there alone,” Mac protested.

The look Matty shot him wasn’t unkind so much as matter of fact. “It’s supposed to be an industry meeting and as far as he knows you’re just her friend.”

“He knows he’s a little more than a friend,” Boze unhelpfully muttered. 

Mac cut him a glare from his place beside him on the loveseat. Luckily no one else seemed to have heard him.

“She goes in with a bug and a tracker. Jack and Riley can pose as diners and Boze and Mac can run the comms,” Matty announced.

“Huh-” 

“Wait what?!”

Mac and Boze both exclaimed.

“Why can’t I go as a diner,” Boze whined.

Matty rolled her eyes, but explained anyway. “If they’ve looked into Elgin at all they’ll already know you’re related. What are the chances that you would just happen to be there? And Wynn’s already met you Mac. You being there just wouldn’t make sense.”

Boze grumbled but said nothing else and Mac just clenched his jaw in response.

“Now that that’s settled you all can go. El prepare for your meeting like you normally would. When you get there Jack and Riley will already be there and Mac will outfit you with a comm before you go. Class dismissed,” Matty said sharply, her tone brokering no space for further comments.

Immediately El and Riley disappeared down the hall together and Matty walked out behind them at a brisk clip. 

The only one’s left in the room were the guys.

“Alright, what did you knuckleheads do?” Jack asked, turning to face Mac and Boze.

Boze raised his hand in defense, “Don’t look at me. This is all him.”

Mac shot him a glare. “I might have said something stupid and now El is avoiding me.”

Jack nodded his head sagely and dramatically stroked his chin. “Believe it or not her being upset is a good sign. Means she still cares, now you just gotta earn your way back into her good books.”

Mac let out a frustrated grunt, “And how do I do that?”

“How should I know? Ladies usually like sincerity, so make it something specific to her. She’s your friend, figure it out.” Jack shrugged, as he got out his chair and left the room.

“I’m not getting in this,” Boze said quickly, giving Mac the side eye. 


	6. Chapter 6

El stepped out her lyft and onto the sidewalk outside of Gwen.

“Ok, what’s your safeword?” Mac asked, his voice sounding like he was right beside her.

“Gina Torres,” El muttered exasperatedly.

She understood his concern but her own cousin wasn’t this up in arms and it wasn’t like she was actually going in alone.

“Good. Remember not to directly bring up the Dahlia and just treat this-”

“Like a regular business meeting,” She finished for him. “Mac no one but you is uptight about this. I know for a fact that Boze is playing candy crush right now.”

“Hey now, you not even in there yet,” Boze called out.

“I’m just concerned,” Mac said defensively.

“That I’ll screw up?” El asked wryly.

“That you’ll get hurt,” Mac corrected.

“Yeah, well be concerned silently. I’m going in now,” She muttered, as she opened the door and walked in.

Just like that the ambient noise from the van, that she hadn’t noticed till now, was gone. She was alone in her head again. 

“Do you have a reservation, ma’am?” The hostess asked doubtfully. She tried to maintain a veneer of politeness, but anyone that looked like her could see the question for what it was. 

Gatekeeping.

“Yes. I’m here with the Wynn party. We have a reservation for 6:30,” El said cooly. 

She wouldn’t take the bait and be nasty to the woman, but she sure as hell didn’t have to be friendly.

“Name please,” The woman asked overly politely. 

“Elgin Bozer.”

The Hostess looked at the list for a touch too long before looking up and smiling. “Right this way, please.”

El tried not to look for Jack and Riley while she followed the hostess through the maze of tables. They were there and she would trust that fact.

When she arrived at the table only a lone blonde was seated, the hostess quickly disappeared leavening El with the other woman.

“Hi Naomi,” El said holding her hand out across the table for a shake, Noami smiled prettily and took it. “Not to sound weird but I’ve been following your career since 10 Little Rules. I’m a big fan.”

Noami made a bit of a sad face, probably because the show only ended because the actor who played her father died, and said, “That’s really nice of you to say. James said you’ve worked on a lot of adaptations. I would love to hear some of your pitches.”

El nodded excitedly. “Of course. I’ve got a few I think would suit you perfectly.” She paused. “But speaking of James where is he exactly?”

“He told me to tell you he’d be about 15 minutes late, sorry about that,” Naomi winced.

“No problem,” El said smoothly. “But I think I’ll wait till he’s here so I can just tell both of you. Why don’t you tell me about what kind of project you’d like to work on after leaving your show?”

“Sure,” She nodded. “I know it’s cliche to do an action movie right after, but I really want to play a badass.”

Naomi scrunched her face up in embarrassment and laughed. El couldn’t help but look her over for a dahlia tattoo, Naomi was completely different from the other girls she’d encountered. She seemed so... normal.

“No, I totally get it. Copper was very much the ‘hot girl,’ I imagine running from explosions would be a welcome change,” El giggled.

“Exactly! When I did _ Spelled _ I got to be a butt kicking spandex wearing witch! I think I just really want to get back to that.”

“I always thought it was a shame you were brought in on the last season. I always felt like we could have learned more about Charlie than we did.”

El let out a regretful sigh and reached for the water pitcher on the table. When she grabbed it Naomi glanced at it and there was something about her expression that made El let go. Instead she turned to her purse and pulled out her phone and sent a nonsense text to Boze.

“Sorry, my writing partner,” El said apologetically, putting away her phone again.

“Are they on their way?”

“No, he wouldn’t be working on this with me. This was about a different project,” El lied.

Naomi looked expectantly at her and glanced over at the water, there was no way she was drinking that now.

El instead made a show of scanning the menu in front of her. All the food was overpriced and surprisingly basic but it was better than looking at the woman in front of her.

“Any idea what you’re ordering?” El asked.

Naomi pouted, it was pretty but practiced. “I have a meeting with my stylist in an hour, plus nothing here fits into my diet.”

Before El could reply James Wynn coasted up to the table. “Ladies ladies, how are we going this evening?”

“I’m terrific, but I'm going to have to leave in a bit,” Naomi said sadly.

“Aw, that’s alright, babe. Once Ellie B and I get started you’d probably be bored anyway,” Wynn replied as he sat down next to her. He looked at El now. “Didn’t I tell you she's the cutest?”

El grimaced. “You did say that. Now that I’ve met her I have a better idea of what kind of role would suit her.”

“I told you  _ NP, _ Elgin here is the real deal, we’re getting in on the ground floor here,” He said conspiratorially to Naomi.

Who just smiled emptily in return, it was like she was a different person. Where she’d seemed normal before she was now wooden and vacant, like some sort of human barbie. 

“We were just talking about the possibility of doing something in the realm of fantasy. I was a big fan of hers in Spelled,” El said in a desperate attempt to move the conversation forward. 

Wynn pulled a face. “ Universal isn’t exactly known for their supernatural chick flicks.”

El let out a sharp breath. She was so glad she had no intention of working on a film with this man. “Okay. I could also see Naomi in some kind of thriller, something Conspiracy Theory-esq.”

Wynn nodded now, Naomi perkily bobbing alongside him. “A young Julia Roberts in her prime for the new generation. I like it.” He cast a surveying glance over at Naomi that was so impersonal it made El uncomfortable. 

Naomi either didn’t notice the look or care because she didn’t react at all. Instead she glanced at the expensive dainty watch that hung on her wrist and looked at Wynn.

“If I don’t go now I won’t make it to my meeting on time,” She said apologetically.

El could see Wynn mentally dismiss her.

“Sure thing. I think El and I’ve got it from here,” He replied, now focusing his full attention on El.

“It was really nice to meet you,” El said, as Naomi got up from the table.

“You too,” She replied sweetly, with that Naomi turned and walked away from the table. As she walked away El could see a tattoo of a flower on the lower right of her back. The dahlia a bit more elaborate than others she’d seen. 

El took a heartening breath before she looked back at Wynn. She had to fight down her surprise when she found him staring at her.

“Okay, the thing about Conspiracy Theory is that it was more about Mel Gibson than anything else. Is that the route you wanted to take with this film too?” El kept her tone business-like as to cover her nerves.

Wynn stroked his chin, bringing her attention to the scraggles he had growing there. It figures here wouldn’t be able to grow a beard. 

“I think the main challenge is finding someone that fits the vibe we’re going for, but doesn’t out shine or out starpower Naomi. Balance is life, Ellie B,” Wynn said sagely, as he motioned for the waiter.

Who then appeared out of actual thin air to take their orders, Wynn got some sort of french steak while El ordered a basic seafood mac and cheese.

“I can definitely write with someone in mind. Aldis Hodge has been doing some good work and is from a tv background like Naomi,” El threw out.

Wynn squinted his eyes. “What show was he on again?”

“Leverage. It had 5 or 6 seasons on TNT. And another called Underground that was a pretty big critical hit.”

Wynn’s squint became a bit more intense before it cleared in recognition. “I don’t know, I’m not sure I see it. Naomi’s image is pretty clean cut, rocking the boat that much might just make it tip over. I was thinking of someone like Toby Kebbell.”

El pulled out her phone and did a quick search, she recognized his face, and a glance at his filmography showed one or two movies she knows she’s seen. She couldn’t remember seeing him in them.

“Fine,” She said tightly. “He looks plenty talented. I think it would be a good move to have Naomi be the focus though.”

Their food arrived and she was disappointed to see that it’s arrival didn’t put a pause on conversation. 

“That might be a bit too SJW for the audience. Why not have them work for a covert organization and have her be his handler who goes on the run with her operative when they come into some catastrophic information,” Wynn said around bites of his steak.

El eyes her own food with want, it smelled so good, but if she couldn’t trust the water what made her think the food was any better?

“That sounds like a good base idea. I can work with that,” El said excitedly.

Too bad it sounded like five other recent movies, all of which hadn’t done well. Thank the lord she wouldn’t actually have to write this crap, at least she hoped she didn’t. 

“Perfect,” Wynn said, his mouth once again full of food. “I knew you’d be perfect for the job. Think you can have a treatment done up in about three weeks?”

“Absolutely,” El replied, trying her best not to grit her teeth.

That amount of time to work on a feature along with her other projects was downright insulting. Especially because conveniently they haven’t even talked contracts yet.

“I’ll have to check with my manager though. To make sure I don’t have other contracts in the pipeline first,” El added, just to see how he’d respond.

Wynn attempted to arch an eyebrow. “Trust me. You do this and you’ll get all sorts of big projects coming your way,” He said in a secretive tone. 

He looked at her from under his lashes, the implication of other things possibly coming her way clear as day, her blood froze under his gaze. 

All she could do is give a short nod in response because she did not trust her mouth not to betray her. 

“Good,” Wynn said, grabbing a linen napkin and wiping at his hands. “I’ll check in with you in three weeks and see what you’ve got.”

He looked at her speculatively and tilted his head to the side. “What are you doing after this?”

Oh hell no. She was not going to a secondary location with this nut.

El faked a wince, “I kind of have plans later tonight. It’s a special occasion.”

“Oh? Ellie’s got a boy toy?” Wynn teased.

El death gripped her fork as she played with her food.

“Who said it was a boy?” She shot back.

Wynn hooted and leered, making her wish she’d kept her mouth shut.

The waiter appeared again asking if everything was ok.

“If you could put this on Noah Blake’s tab that would be great,” Wynn said, taking a large drink of his wine. “Name’s James Wynn. I'm on the approved list.” 

The waiter didn’t hesitate before replying, “Of course Mr. Wynn. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Wynn shot El a haughty look. “It’s good to be the King,” He laughed.

El forced herself to chuckle along, despite the gross insult to Mel Brooks. Now to see if she could get herself out of here in one piece.

“Looks like we’ve got the idea for the feature all hammered out. Did we have any other business?” El asked, casually taking a small bite of her food.

“It’s not business but I do have a question. It’s about your  _ friend  _ Angus,” Wynn said, taking a sip of wine.

El’s pulse skyrocketed. “What about him?”

“I looked him up and found out he’s some sort of genius. How did that never come up?”

“I honestly forget and he’s not the kind to brag. Once you’ve seen someone accidentally dye a whole set of sheets mint green it’s hard to think of them as a genius,” El shrugged.

Wynn laughed at her joke before pushing forward with more questions. “So you guys go way back?”

“I’d say so,” She replied, smiling tightly.

“So you know him pretty well?”

“Pretty, yeah. I’m sorry where is this all going?” El asked, shaking her head quizzically. 

“Nowhere at the moment, but… let’s just say that you two have caught the eye of someone special,” Wynn answered with a smug little smile.

El raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And this is a good thing?”

Wynn gave a sickening low laugh. “You have no idea.”

El put her fork down and scooted her chair back. It was time to get out of there. Now.

“Right, well when things start to move along let me know in the meantime, I’ve got someplace else to be,” El said, getting up from the table. Barely faking an apologetic expression as she picked up her purse.

Unfortunately Wynn got up too. “Let me walk you out,” He said politely.

Of all the times for him to learn some manners he had to pick now.

She pressed her lips together in what she hoped looked like a smile and retraced the path she’d taken earlier with the hostess.

When they made it to the door Wynn held it open but only enough so that she had to squeeze past him, the prick.

Her bad luck held when he stepped out on to the street rather than go back inside the restaurant. 

“You call an Uber?” 

Shoot, she hadn't. “Nope, I’m waiting. My friend should be here soon.”

Lord, she hoped the boys were listening, she was not trying to get trafficked tonight. She was under no illusions that she was safe after one informal business conversation. 

Thankfully her bad luck decided to break, Mac turned the corner and walked up to where she and Wynn were standing. This time when she smiled it was genuine, even when things were weird she could still count on him for help.

“Wussup Gus Gus,”Wynn called out, as Mac reached them.

“Just hanging out,” Mac said back.

Once he reached her side Mac took her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

Wynn eyed their clasped hands. “Oh, Ellie told me all about your special plans. Why don’t you two just admit you’re dating, huh? Officially let the rest of us know we no longer have a chance bro,” He said playfully batting at Mac’s arm.

Mac smiled coyly and looked down at El, as their gazes met she could see real contemplation in them. She had to remind herself he was just playing a part, until he said otherwise she wouldn’t read into anything.

“It’s nobody else's business, now is it?” Mac replied, leading El past Wynn and down Sunset Blvd.

As they walked away Mac kept a hold of her hand. She supposed Wynn could still be looking, but it seemed a bit unlikely. 

“You ok?” Mac asked her, his thumb smoothing over her fingers.

“As much as can be expected,” El said, letting out a breath.

It was like she could finally breathe again, when she hadn’t realized she’d ever stopped.

“You did really well, couldn’t have handled it better.”

“Naomi is 100% involved. I saw a dahlia on her when she left and I think she may have done something to the water at the table.” 

El shuttered at the memory of Naomi looking at the pitcher with anticipation.

“We’ll look into her history and see if there is anything that could point to other members,” Mac said as they continued walking, his hand still somehow still wrapped in hers.

“But why try and drug me if he was going to ask me to do this job? Was it some sort of test? That doesn’t make any sense!”

“For all we know there could be in-fighting within the organization. We may never know, what matters is that you are here and that you’re safe. Thanks to you we’re getting some idea about the chain of command beyond Wynn. Sometimes you need to focus on the wins, El.”

She looked over at him then and met his eyes. Focusing on the wins was a whole lot harder to do when it felt like part of her was missing. With her free hand she unstuck the comm from behind her ear and stuck it in her pocket.

“Do we have to stop by the Foundation?” 

Mac broke eye contact first to scan the street, smart move all things considered. “No, I'll call Matty to check in later.”

He didn’t say anything else for a moment, he just kept a hold of her hand. Jack told him he should be sincere and specific, that was easier said than done.

Taking a long inhale Mac gave it a try. “I know we agreed to forget about the kiss, but things are still weird and I really want to talk to you about it.”

El let go of his hand to wrap her arms around herself. Mac’s heart hurting at the sight, the fact she felt she needed protection from him almost made him physically ill.

“What is there to talk about?” She asked, her voice was distant now.

She was mentally distancing herself from him now and he knew for a fact that once that was done she’d turn cold. He’d seen it junior year when she stopped being friends with Jenny Hansen and he also saw how it took a toll on her. No way in hell he was just going to let the same thing happen now. 

Mac looked at her to respond and saw something else instead. Just to their left was a lit narrow path between two buildings, at its entrance read a plaque inscribed with the words;  _ Carol Davis Art Park.  _

“Cmon,” Mac said, grabbing her hand again.

Without any further thought Mac led them down the alley.

“Oh my god, what are you doing?! Are you trying to get us killed? Cause I swear to god if they get you first I’m running and I’m not coming ba-”

El’s protests were cut off when the alley opened up to the one of the most beautiful gardens she’d ever seen. Countless strings of lights criss crossed to light the area, creating an effect that was nothing short of magical. They could barely hear the heavy LA traffic coming from the other end of the alley, it was like they stepped into a whole new world.

“Did you know this was here?” El asked, turning to Mac.

“No. I just saw that there was an art park here and thought it would be a good place to talk,” Mac answered, still mesmerized by their surroundings.

El laughed loudly. “That is one of the whitest things I have ever heard you say.  _ Let’s just walk down this alley to talk, I’m sure there’s no one lying in wait to murder us.  _ How are you still alive?”

Mac took the jabs at him in stride, she did have a point.“There have been some pretty close calls.”

El smiled back at him wryly. “With logic like that I’m not surprised.”

El walked further into the park and sat on a bench made to look like a giant blooming rose. It was the focal piece of the little park and with a closer look El could see that the level of detailing on the enormous petals was insane.

Mac sat beside her and leaned back. “If I said the kiss awakened something in me, what would you say?”

El rolled her eyes. “That you either read too much Jane Austen or are quoting the meme wrong.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at her answer. “Probably right on both accounts, you know I love Emma.”

El bumped her shoulder into his. “Sap.”

He bumped her right back “Monster lover.”

“This is true.”

They were quiet for a minute.

“I was talking to Boze and-” Mac was cut off by a groan from El.

“Please. Please, tell me you did not talk about what’s going on between us to Wilton.”

“I didn’t have to tell him much,” Mac offered unhelpfully.

El smothered a shreech behind clenched jaws.

“Fine. Fine, what unique wisdom did my cousin have to impart?” El asked, tossing up her hands in surrender.

“Well, he called my dumb.”

“Can’t argue with that,” El mumbled under her breath.

“But he also said that we’ve been dancing around each other since high school and in retrospect he’s not wrong.” Mac took a deep breath and looked over at El.

El scoffed at him. “That’s ridiculous.”

The side eye she threw him was almost enough to make him drop it all together, but Mac took a deep breath and continued.

“He also pointed out that I’ve never liked any of your boyfriends and asked me why that was.” Mac slid her a side glance of his own. “Why do you think that was?”

El shrugged in frustration. “Because you could see they were all losers before I could?”

Mac looked at her for a moment and under his gaze she looked out at the flowers, other pieces of art, and generally avoided looking back at him. Her real tell however sat in her lap, hands clasped close as the fingers of her right hand twirled around the scorpion ring encircled on her left thumb. He’d known her long enough to recognize a nervous action when he saw one.

“That may be part of it,” Mac conceded with a laugh. “But also, I don’t know, I might have been a little jealous. That they got to know you and be with you in a way that I didn’t.”

El’s breath came quick now. “So what exactly are you trying to say, Angus?”

Mac smiled a little at her attempt to needle him, she always did that when people hit touchy subjects.

“I’m saying that I am an idiot,” He said simply. “How else could I be in love with you for almost two decades and have absolutely no idea?”

The laugh El let out was loud and strained. “There’s no way you’re in love with me. I mean what about that time you and Boze made a Rube Goldberg machine to trip me when we were 12?”

Mac smothered a smile at the memory. “It was B’s idea to prank you. I just expanded on it, and as you remember I made sure you had a soft landing.”

“In a pile of leaves,” She pointed out.

“That I spent all morning collecting. I even got some from your neighbor's lawns when I realized I didn’t have enough.”

“It was a pretty big pile,” She said begrudgingly, finally looking over at him. The smile hovering at the corners of her mouth gave him the smallest bit of hope.

“I admit the kiss was good, but good enough to inspire a declaration of love? What is this a CW show?” El growled frustratedly, springing up to pace in front of the bench.

Mac stayed seated watching her, his eyes wary but hopeful.

“All of this. The kiss and everything after just made me see what was already in front of my face. I get it if you don’t feel the same, I’ve been an idiot, but I just needed to let you know.”

El didn’t respond. She just continued to pace and after a while she started to murmer to herself.

“When you figure out you’re in love with someone, you want to tell them as soon as possible.”

That got her to stop pacing, he’d counted it as a small victory. When she turned to him though the lack of expression on her face threw that into question.

“Are you misquoting one of the most romantic movies to ever be made right to my face?”

“Yes,” Mac said, nodding definitively. 

Whatever reaction he had hoped for definitely wasn't the one he got. Not a moment later tears began to roll down her cheeks and her already heavy breathing grew even more labored. All teasing forgotten Mac jumped up from the bench and hugged her.

“Look, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to upset you, I just needed you to know. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Mac said into her hair, the mass of it pinned to one side so his mouth was inches away from her ear.

He hugged her fiercely and she held him just as tightly.

“I’m scared, Mac,” She whispered into his chest. Her hands readjusting her grip on the back of his jacket. 

He was pretty sure he already knew the answer, but he still had to ask. “Of what?”

She studied the buttons of his shirt, her hands rising up between them to finger the zipper of his jacket. “Of what could happen if we’re not just friends anymore.”

She looked up at him now and the sorrow in her gaze made his breath hitch. “I don’t know what I would do if you weren’t in my life anymore. And if it was my fault you left-”

She broke off the thought with a shake of her head, tears seeping from behind her lashes.

Unable to stay silent any longer Mac gently took her face into his hands and waited for her to look at him.

“I am not going anywhere, no matter what,” He said fiercely. “No matter what kind of relationship we have, I will never have another one like it because there’s only one you. Knowing you isn’t something I could ever regret.” 

El listened to him, her expression sober as his thumbs caressed her cheeks. 

She took a staggered breath before speaking, “I could never regret you either.”

Mac slid his hands from her face down to her shoulders and continued until he reached her hands. Twisting their fingers together when he gets there to keep a connection between them.

“What do we do now?” Mac asks, his voice is low but it still carries throughout the silence of the park. 

El doesn’t answer him right away, instead she looks him directly in the eye. Her mouth pressed slightly like she’d deep in thought, until she suddenly smiled at him. 

The strength of it hitting him like a blow to the chest, the force of it dislodging a weight he hadn’t even realized was there.

He was so preoccupied that he didn’t even realize that she had begun to move. With a step she brought them chest to chest and with no effort at all she lifted up her face a little to press her mouth to his. For a kiss that was as sweet as it was short.

She still didn’t say anything. She just gave him another smile, this one bigger and even brighter than the last, and let go of his hands to loop them around his shoulders.

“So is kissing what we’re doing now? Because I could get behind that,” Mac laughed, leaning in close for another.

As their lips brushed El went to speak before she was cut off by a voice.

“If I get murdered by your killer back here, Mac… My ghost is gonna kick your ghost’s ass.” 

The brash voice and loud steps signified Boze’s imminent arrival and the end of what was becoming a decidedly nonverbal conversation. Biting her lip El slowly took a step away and slid her arms off his shoulders. Before he could truly be disappointed though she hooked her arm through his and led them in Boze’s direction.

They met Boze at the entrance of the park. 

“There you are! This one left his phone in the van and you aren’t answering your phone” Boze gestured to Mac and El respectively. “You’re lucky that the comm has lojack on it or else I wouldn’t have been able to find you.”

Once he stopped talking Boze noticed that they were arm in arm and rolled his eyes. Without anything else he turned back and started walking back to the street, calling over his shoulder. “I parked the van in a red zone, so are y'all coming or what?” 

Sharing a look Mac and El followed him out of the alley and back to the van.

~~~

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Boze asked as he fretted about the kitchen.

When they got home he insisted on making his “world famous” tacos and considering she didn’t really get a chance to eat earlier El didn’t fight him on it.

“I have definitely been better, but I’m home now,” El shrugged.

Boze glanced over to where Mac sat out on the patio. He was on a call with Matty and Riley, one of her algorithms must have dug up something from Landis’ emails.

“You and Mac seemed pretty cozy in that murder park. Anything you wanna tell me?” He said nonchalantly. 

It took everything in her not to roll her eyes, he really thought he was being slick. Her cousin had many talents, subtlety however was not among them. Never had been and she doubted he'd actually take the time to learn. 

“I know you know, Boze. You can come out and ask me directly,” She said frankly.

With a sigh of relief he dropped the pretense. “Are you and Mac together or what?”

El’s heart rate kicked up. It was exactly what she expected him to ask, she’d even told him to come out with it, but hearing the question out loud made her realize that she had no clue. 

After everything it seemed like the one thing she and Mac didn’t quite nail down was where their relationship went from here. She knew what she wanted, for them to give being together a real shot, but for once she didn’t even feel comfortable speculating what Mac might be thinking. 

“Right now it’s still in ‘or what’ territory, but I’m ok with that,” She said with a shrug.

Boze rolled his eyes and kept deliberately slicing tomatoes. “Right, because you’re someone that deals real well without clarity, ” He said drolly. “And Inception is your favorite movie.”

Her jaw tightened at the mention of Inception, it was a low blow and that’s exactly why he threw it out there. The lack of resolution to an otherwise stellar movie chafed at her and he knew that. 

“I will admit that this isn’t something I can keep up forever… but I’m willing to at least wait till we’re done taking down this league of extraordinary assholes before I corner him about it.”

Boze laughed and held up his hands in defeat. “If you say so,” He tossed back.

His face and tone made it clear he meant the exact opposite and wanted her to know it.

El wanted to call him out on his doubt but she was cut off by Mac coming back into the house.

“You’re making tacos?” Mac asked as he came up beside El to lean on the counter. 

His shoulder brushing against hers did nothing to help her clarify their situation but it certainly didn’t hurt either. 

“Nope, I’m baking bread,” Boze said blithely as he moved ground beef around a pan with an ancient wooden spoon.

Mac only rolled his eyes in response.

“So what did Matty say?” El asked, jostling his shoulder with hers. 

Though the movement wasn’t out of the ordinary touching him sent a welcome new zing up her spine. 

“Instructions, mostly. We’re to stay the course when it comes to Wynn. The White Dahlia knows enough about me to be interested, so that’s something we can use to our advantage,” Mac said, swiping a bit of grated cheese off a plate on the counter. 

The idea that The Dahlia had plans for them made El’s heart beat faster. 

Mac was resourceful, hell he was a genius, but the idea of people like Wynn wanting to use him made her queasy. 

She tried not to think about what they probably wanted to do to her. 

Pimp her out to the highest bidder, with the thin promise of advancing her career. That’s provided they don’t just pump her full of drugs and send her room to room.

The thought sent a cold shiver down her spine.

“Starting now this is a shop talk free zone,” El declared. “Just for the rest of the night.”

The boys shared a look across the kitchen.

Boze spoke first, “Sure thing, cuz. Why don’t we just hangout and watch a movie?”

“Princess Bride?” Mac suggested.

El shot them both a relieved smile, “Thanks, guys. The past few days have been a lot. Tacos and Miracle Max are exactly what I need now.”

Boze stepped away from the stove and reached into a nearby cabinet and pulled out some plates. “Alright, come and get it!”

Watching a lovestruck Westley make eyes at Buttercup for 2 hours was a balm she hadn’t realized she’d needed. 

The fact that he happened to slightly resemble the weirdo crunching up tortilla chips into his taco didn’t at all feed into any fantasies she was trying to suppress. Not even a little bit.

  
  



End file.
